Babies
Paediatricians have warned that covering babies with blankets increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a tragic phenomenon, where a healthy infant dies unexpectedly.
The specialists also warned that obstructing a baby’s airways with pillows, toys, shawls, or other materials could be fatal within four minutes.
This, they said, contributed to the global burden of infant mortality, which saw 2.3 million children under the age of one die within the first 20 days of life in 2022, including those affected by SIDS, according to the World Health Organisation.
The experts, who said that this practice threatens the lives of babies, cautioned that a lack of oxygen for an infant for four minutes could be hazardous for the baby.
The warnings highlight the importance of adhering to safe sleep guidelines to protect vulnerable infants and reduce the incidence of this devastating condition.
The 2014 World Bank estimated infant mortality rate in Nigeria was 72 per 1,000 live births, which is unacceptably high and has a proven association with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
According to the Boston Children’s Hospital, United States, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age that cannot be explained following a thorough case investigation that includes an autopsy, a death scene investigation, and a review of the clinical history.
The hospital stated that the syndrome is sometimes called crib death because the death is usually associated with sleep and often occurs while a baby is sleeping in a crib.
“SIDS is the leading cause of postnatal (one month to one year of age) death of babies in the US. Ninety percent of SIDS deaths occur within the first six months of life, with the rate peaking between one and four months,” Boston Children’s Hospital stated.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise in different interviews, the paediatricians said that prompting significant public health efforts to educate parents and caregivers on prevention strategies were recommended.
The specialists said that ensuring that the baby sleeps on a firm mattress, without loose bedding, pillows, or stuffed toys, is crucial, insisting that practise of ‘bed-sharing’ is also recommended.
A Consultant Paediatrician at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Dr Adefunke Babatola affirmed that covering a baby with clothes or introducing pillows and soft materials, especially silk, in the baby’s bed space increases the risk of SIDS.
Babatola warned, “It is dangerous and could lead to sudden infant death syndrome. Keeping wrappers, clothes, and pillows in a baby’s cot or bed poses a serious threat to a baby’s life, as these items can lead to suffocation. Punch
