Sudden Infant Death Syndrome SIDS and African Americans Essay -- Crib

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and African-Americans Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a condition that many people still are trying to figure out why it happens to these babies. This syndrome is described as an unexplained death of an infant younger than one year of age. SIDS is frightening because it can strike without warning and affect a good, healthy infant. Most SIDS deaths occur at night and without warning. SIDS victims may have been down for sleep for as little as ten minutes, they show signs of struggle or suffering. Although SIDS is commonly associated with an infants sleep time, and often occurs in the crib. This event is not limited to the crib and may occur anywhere the infant is sleeping, deaths have occurred in infant seats, car seats, strollers, and in the parents' bed. Infants that die a SIDS death do not show signs of suffering, it appears as if they simply fell asleep and did not wake up. Commonalities that define a SIDS death are: †¢ the major cause of death in infants from 1 month to 1 year of age, with most deaths occurring between 2 and 4 months †¢ sudden and silent death in a infant that was seemingly healthy †¢ currently, unpredictable and unpreventable †¢ a death that occurs quickly, often associated with sleep and with no signs of suffering †¢ determined only after an autopsy, an examination of the death scene, and a review of the clinical history †¢ designated as a diagnosis of exclusion †¢ a recognized medical disorder listed in the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) †¢ an infant death that leaves unanswered questions, causing intense grief for parents and families Prior to extensive research in S... ...t will provide the basis of eliminating SIDS as a cause of infant death. (Goyco, 1990) Works Cited Brandenburg, Mark A., Child Safe : A Practical Guide for Preventing Childhood Injuries Corr, C.A., Fuller, H., Barnickol, C.A., and Corr, D.M. (Eds).Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Who Can Help and How. New York: Springer Publishing Co., 1991. Goyco, P.G., and Beckerman, R.C. "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome."Current Problems in Pediatrics 20(6):299-346, June 1990. Willinger, M., James, L.S., and Catz, C. "Defining the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): Deliberations of an Expert Panel Convened by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development."Pediatric Pathology 11:677-684, 1991. National Center for Health Statistics. "Advance Report of Final Mortality Statistics, 1988."Monthly Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 39, No. 7, Supp. 1990, p. 33.