 | It's amazing how we all survived for centuries all of us being raised as tummy sleepers, isn't it?
I think we all worry about SIDS. It's a scarey thing. But laying a baby on his/her stomach is not the main cause of SIDS...it's been found that having the baby sleep on his back reduces the incidence...this does not mean that tummy sleeping CAUSES it nor does it mean that by sleeping on their backs it will not happen, please do read up on it.
You also have to realize that the data used for the frequency of SIDS in the past also included cases of neglect, undisclosed cases of child abuse, unidentified viruses, and accidental deaths due to strangulation.
It was not uncommon 20 years ago for a doctor to state that the cause of death was SIDS when, in fact, child abuse was strongly suspected but not able to be proven. It was, and still is, a very touchy subject and no one likes to think of someone abusing an infant. I myself know of two incidences in the 70's where SIDS was written on the death certificate when it was blatantly neglect. But we could not PROVE that the neglect had caused the babies deaths. SIDS was a catchall for any infant death that could not be proven.
The best thing we can do is be informed. Be watchful. Be careful. It will be interesting to see the results in 20 years of a whole generation of children being raised their first year sleeping in car seats, swings, and strollers. |
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