Head Covering And Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - A Statement From The Foundation For The Study Of Infant Deaths, UK

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 02 May 2008 - 10:00 PST

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The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) welcomes the findings of the review Head Covering - A major modifiable risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A systematic review, by Blair PS et al, published online yesterday (1 May 2008) in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The research found that more than a quarter (27.1%) of SIDS deaths could be prevented if babies' heads didn't become covered with bedclothes while they were sleeping. This finding reinforces FSID's advice that babies should be placed with their feet to the foot of the cot, with the bedclothes firmly tucked in and no higher than their shoulders, so that they can't wriggle down under the bedclothes. A baby sleeping bag is a safe alternative to sheets and blankets.

The research, which reviewed ten epidemiological studies, found that the average prevalence of head covering in babies who died as cot deaths was 24.6%, while amongst babies who didn't die, the prevalence averaged 3.2%.

The research looked at various ways that head covering may occur but found that the evidence did not support the theory that it was the consequence of a dying baby's final struggle. It was observed though that babies placed to sleep on their fronts instead of on their backs could move down under the covers and that babies covered with soft bedding who were sleeping on their backs were much more likely to be able to remove the covers than babies sleeping on their fronts. No clear link between bedsharing and head covering was found.

The research did not find a reason as to why head covering might cause a baby to die but one possibility put forward involved stress from becoming overheated. According to the researchers, 40% of a baby's heat is produced in its head and 85% of a baby's heat is lost through its head or face.

Professor George Haycock, FSID's scientific adviser, says: "We know that too much bedding and clothing, as well as overly warm rooms and poor ventilation, are associated with cot death. Therefore, it is very important that parents follow our advice and never allow their baby to sleep indoors with a hat on its head, and never use a duvet or quilt if their baby is under a year old. Instead, place your baby on its back in a cot in the 'feet-to-foot' position with one or more layers of light blankets firmly tucked in. You can also use a baby sleeping bag instead of sheets and blankets but make sure it is doesn't have a hood, is lightweight and is the right size around the neck so that your baby won't slip down inside the bag."

Cot death is still the biggest killer of babies over one month old in the UK today, claiming the lives of around 300 infants every year.

Notes

The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths is the UK's leading baby charity working to prevent sudden deaths and promote infant health. FSID funds research (nearly £10 million to date), supports bereaved families, promotes baby care advice, and works to improve investigations when a baby dies.

FSID runs a Helpline (020 7233 2090) for parents and professionals seeking advice on safe baby care. The Helpline also supports bereaved families. Advice for parents and professionals can also be found at http://www.fsid.org.uk.

Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths