December 9, 2022 | Katie Chen
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert recommending that parents and caregivers not usage babe caput shaping pillows due to the fact that they tin make an unsafe slumber situation for infants, and whitethorn summation the hazard of suffocation and death.
According to the FDA, the pillows person not been proven to beryllium a harmless oregon effectual for preventing oregon treating level caput syndrome, oregon positional plagiocephaly. That’s erstwhile circumstantial areas of a baby’s caput make an abnormally level signifier from laying connected 1 broadside for a prolonged play of time.
With this information alert, caller product recalls and caller laws astir harmless sleep, it tin beryllium hard for parents to recognize however to make a harmless slumber situation for their baby. Rajashree Koppolu, CPNP-PC/AC, MSN, RN, MSL, NPD-BC, a caregiver practitioner with the pediatric wide surgery and trauma team, and Stephanie Choi, CPNP, MS, RN, a caregiver practitioner successful pediatric neurosurgery, interruption down what parents request to know.
‘Back is best’
The new harmless slumber guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics reenforce the request for infants to slumber connected their backs connected flat, firm, non-inclined surfaces. Approximately 3,500 infants dice annually from sleep-related babe deaths annually successful the United States. Research has shown that risk of SUIDS, oregon abrupt unexpected decease of an infant, rises successful an unsafe slumber environment. SUIDS tin beryllium caused by accidental suffocation, entrapment, oregon strangulation erstwhile sleeping.
“Most deaths related to SUIDS hap betwixt 1 months and 4 months of age. However, the harmless slumber guidelines are recommended for the archetypal twelvemonth aft birth,” Koppolu says.
A bully regularisation of thumb to trim hazard is to travel the ABCs of harmless sleep: Alone, connected their Back, and successful a Crib oregon bassinet.
Alone means nary furniture sharing, but Koppolu adds having that crib oregon bassinet which confirms to the information standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) successful the aforesaid country arsenic the parents oregon caregivers for astatine slightest 6 months has been shown to beryllium beneficial. The sleeping country should besides person thing but a firm, level aboveground with a tight, fitted expanse until astatine slightest 1 twelvemonth of age.
“It’s important that the furniture is wide of everything – stuffed animals, blankets, pillows – thing that tin airs a hazard to them being capable to respire safely,” Koppolu advises.
Parents tin see dressing their babe successful a slumber sack that fits implicit pajamas and offers warmth. Swaddling should nary longer beryllium utilized erstwhile the babe exhibits signs of starting to roll. Choi points to information showing objects similar positioners, bumpers, and pillows, tin obstruct an infant’s chemoreceptor and mouth, starring to accidental suffocation. That’s besides the interest with the babe caput shaping pillows.
“There are galore different harmless attraction options for level caput syndrome, which tin beryllium further discussed with your pediatrician oregon immoderate caput signifier specialist,” Choi says. “We urge families archetypal effort 2 months of progressive repositioning astatine home, similar tummy clip erstwhile they’re awake, which tin beryllium supplemented with carnal therapy. If that does not amended caput shape, past we volition urge proceeding with helmet therapy.”
That technique, cranial remolding therapy, involves wearing a rigid helmet for 4 to 8 months. The helmet helps usher maturation and reshaping of the skull implicit time, requiring periodic adjustments to let for ongoing caput growth.
There is besides grounds that shows erstwhile an babe is elevated much than 10 degrees, it’s not conducive to the baby’s oxygen travel arsenic their heads are disproportionately heavy.
“Developmentally, young infants person impaired quality for arousal and are processing cardiorespiratory and autonomic responses. When coupled with an unsafe sleeping environment, they tin beryllium astatine hazard for sleep-related death. When babies are connected their back, their airway is supra the feeding tubes, truthful their airway is much from aspiration,” Koppolu explains.
But what happens erstwhile your babe falls dormant connected the road, strapped into their car seat? Make definite to get them connected a firm, level aboveground to slumber arsenic soon arsenic is harmless and applicable and ne'er permission the babe unattended.
Don’t hide astir different protective measures
Aside from wherever the babe sleeps, Koppolu reminds parents to deliberation astir wide information astir the home.
- Don’t over-bundle the babe and support the country astatine a comfortable, ambient temperature
- Maintain regular immunization schedule
- Obtain regular prenatal care
- Breastfeeding associated with a reduced hazard of SIDS for astatine slightest archetypal 6 months
- Don’t fume oregon usage nicotine, alcohol, opioids, during gestation and aft your babe is born
- Ensure caregivers are trained successful babe CPR and person each the exigency telephone numbers necessary
Finding assistance successful the community
The Stanford Children’s Health Childhood Injury Prevention Program provides safe slumber and different acquisition to families astatine Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford whether it’s done a virtual hour-long people oregon astatine the bedside. The squad besides goes into the assemblage done nurse-family partnerships, wherever specially trained nurses volition sojourn first-time moms-to-be and supply car seats, location information kits, model locks, Pack ‘n Plays, and slumber sacks for free.
Parents acrophobic astir their child’s caput signifier should scope retired to their pediatrician. Referrals tin beryllium made to Stanford Children’s Plagiocephaly clinic to find an age-appropriate treatment.
English (US)