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Safe sleeping guidelines has decreased SIDs deaths by 90%
Today is Red Nose Day – and since the first red nose day back in 1988 more than $18 million has been invested in research which has seen an almost 90% reduction in the incidence of SIDs (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). These guidelines are there for a reason and should never be challenged.
There’s still more work to do
But still, more than 3,000 babies die each year in Australia – so there’s more work to be done!
Donate to the Red Nose Foundation today.
The amount of colic & unsettled behaviour has increased in our generation
New parents often bring their own mothers/fathers into appointments with me, to help with the baby and allow the parents to concentrate. It’s so lovely to see three generations in one room.
Often, during an appointment; however, a well-meaning grandmother will comment, ‘we didn’t have these problems in our day!’
This can be gut-wrenching for sleep-deprived parents who already doubt their parent-craft skills, in the setting of an unsettled baby and significant sleep deprivation.
So is there truth to that unhelpful statement?
Yes – but with a caveat.
With safe sleeping changes, we have dramatically reduced the incidence of SIDS.
There is an almost 90% reduction in SIDS since we learned not to sleep babies on their stomachs. This is phenomenal, but comes with unintended consequences.
By sleeping babies on their backs, we’ve traded in one problem (major) with two other problems, largely unseen prior to the 1980s.
The first is colic;
Babies are significantly less able to sleep comfortably on their backs, when something is unsettling them, the most common cause being wind.
Second is plagiocephaly:
When babies lie on their backs, they tend to develop a flat head if not rotating their head position frequently.
The good news is that both of these are treatable and preventable, but you need to address them early.
Delve into the Dr Golly Sleep Program for more information and remind that well-meaning grandmother that times have changed!
See our blog on colic here
For Safe Sleeping Tips to help prevent SIDS see our blog here
Learn more about the Dr Golly Philosophy here.
Shop the Dr Golly age appropriate routines here.
