Research Into Cot Deaths. (sids.org.uk)

Member Name: belucky88

Product:	sids.org.uk
Date:	23/02/01 (122 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Contains good advice and information.

Disadvantages: none.

The loss of a babies little life through the still unexplained Cot Death,will always be a tragedy to this day.
I personally cant even begin to imagine the pain Families must go through to lose a baby in this way.
An old friend of mine actually lost two babies through Cot Death,one of the babies died in Her cot and a few years later Her son died in His pram,while She was out shopping.It almost destroyed Her.
A happier ending was in store for Her,She now has two more children,one aged 8 the other 6.

It is something that all of us mum's feared may happen to our own Babies,so we were extra alert,to the point of checking our Babies through out the night,even changing the cot mattress and buying a new one.
Not laying our babies on their front to sleep,that made me equally afraid that laid on their backs they could vomit and suffocate on it.
I often look back and wonder how I ever got any real sleep,I used to hear every shuffle,moan,yawn even the sound of their breathing.

I have found a site all about cot deaths which I found informative and it contains some useful information for anyone who might have been through this experience."www.sids.org.uk"

I originally decided to go onto this site because in My town,last week a registered collector,who went around knocking on doors collecting for The Study Of Infant Deaths,was up in court charged with stealing £106,000 over four years.All taken from Donations From the public.
I wanted to see if they had any information regarding street collectors in their fundraising section,unfortunately they didnt.
It has really made Me stop and think about these street collectors and how easy it was for one dispicable Lady to steal that amount of money.It took four years before She was found out.
I dont think I will fill anyones tin on the doorstep anymore after hearing about this case.

Anyway back to the site itself.
Cot Death is the sudden and unexpected d
eath of a Baby for no apparent reason.
If a post mortem cant explain the death then it will probably be registered as a Cot Death.

Statistics show that in the uk Cot deaths figures are being reduced.
In 1996 there were 528 deaths but in 1999 the number of deaths recorded were down to 419 to give us a rough idea.
In 1999,86% of all sudden infant deaths in England and Wales occured in Babies aged under six months.

Since the launch of "The Reduce The Risk Campaign " in England and Wales since 1991,the number of Babies dying of cot death has fallen by around 70%.

Thats quite a large reduction and definately good to hear.

On this site you can access a question and Answers section.
This is a very useful area,where people who have sent in questions can read the replies.
Like....
Q..Do Babies only die at night in their cots?
A..No,Cot Deaths can occur anywhere at any time.Some babies die in their arms or even in a pram,but babies are usually found dead in their cots.

Q..At what time of the year do cot deaths occur?

A..Cot deaths used to happen more often in the Winter,but this Winters peak almost dissappeared since The Reduce The Risk Campaign.

Q..How does cot death compare with other childhood problems?

A..It unfortunately remains the most common kind of death in Infants under one years of age.Compared with deaths from Meningitis,Leukemia and road traffic accidents.

What can you do to reduce the risk of cot death?....

Place your baby on its back to sleep.
Cut smoking in pregnancy.
Dont let anyone smoke in the same room as your Baby.
Do not let your Baby get to hot.
Keep baby's head uncovered-place your baby with their feet to the cot,to prevent wriggling down under the covers.
If your baby seems unwell,do seek medical advice promptly.

When I had My first Baby I was afraid to lay Him on His Back in case He was sick
and chocked on it.Evidence has shown that this does not happen.
My ex husband and I always smoked in the Garden even in the rain and snow.
When I brought My first Baby home,it was cold and snowing outside.
For fear of Him getting too cold,one night I put so many blankets and even a cardigan on over His babygro that He woke up crying.He was sweating and had a bright red face.That was fourteen years ago now,there was not so much known about cot deaths back then.
I wouldnt have done that today.

What research is now being done?

FSID has spent over £8 million on research into cot death since 1971.
Research now continues into how babies cope in difficult circumstances.
Interactions between parents and their babies when sharing a room,or even bed sharing.
Ways to reduce infants exposure to passive smoking.
Airway functions in low birthweight infants.
Identifing new risk factors for the prevention and reduction of cot deaths.

The site offers a twenty four hour helpline complete with telephone number to offer advice and help to the public.

Read information about the roles of their research,their campaigns and fundraising.

Also their is some latest advice on the home page,like the following.....

Cot mattresses,regarding the fears over toxic gas theory they are now unfounded.But they do suggest you keep cot mattresses clean,dry and flat.

There is no evidence to suggest that baby monitors prevent a cot death.

Sharing a bed with your baby,although research evidence is far from clear,dont sleep with your baby if you or your partner smoke,have been drinking,are under the influence of drugs or are excessively tired.You may roll over and suffocate your baby.

They still say dont use cot duvets or pillows for a baby under twelve months.

Plenty of sound information and advice can be accessed for all of us on this site.

I was very moved by the "in
memory of"section,where parents have been invited to leave a message in memory of the baby they have lost through cot death.It makes heart breaking reading.

If you would like to make a donation to the study of infant deaths,the site gives you a page to put your details on and you can then print it out and send it off to them.

They will accept a cheque,credit/debit card,postal order and even a charity voucher.Send your donations off to...
FSID Artillery House,
11-19 Artillery Row,
London SW1P 1RT.

At least if you send a donation direct it should go directly to the charity and not into a mean street collectors pocket.


Not a lot more to say,just that I hope it could be of help to anyone who has had an experience with cot death and remember it is a very worthwhile charity.

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