Stats

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) rates declined considerably from 130.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 55.7 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2001. Unknown Cause infant mortality rates have remained unchanged from 1990 to 2010. In 2011, the Unknown Cause mortality rate in infants was 22 deaths per 100,000 live births. Accidental Suffocation and Strangulation in Bed (ASSB) mortality rates remained unchanged until the late 1990s. Rates started to increase beginning in 1998 and reached the highest rate at 17.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2008. The total combined Sudden Unexpected Infant Death rate (which includes SIDS, Unknown Cause, and ASSB) declined considerably following the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations released in 1992 the initiation of the Back to Sleep campaign in 1994, and the release of the Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Reporting Form in 1996. However, the total combined Sudden Unexpected Infant Death rate has not decreased significantly since 1999.

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) rates declined considerably from 130.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 39.7 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013.
• The combined SUID death rate (which includes SIDS, unknown cause, and ASSB) declined considerably following the release of the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations in 1992, the initiation of the Back to Sleep campaign in 1994, and the release of the Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Reporting Form in 1996. The combined SUID death rate decreased again slightly beginning in 2009.

From 2007 to 2010, SUID mortality rates per 100,000 live births for American Indian/Alaska Native (216.4) and Non-Hispanic black infants (190.2) were more than twice those of non-Hispanic white (92.2) infants. SUID mortality rates from 2007 to 2010 were lowest among Hispanic infants (55.2) and Asian/Pacific Islander (38.3) infants.

The breakdown of sleep-related infant deaths by cause in 2010 is as follows: the majority of cases (56%) were categorized as sudden infant death syndrome, followed by unknown cause (26%), and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed (18%).

 

5 E’s

Injuries are a result of a behavior. We must identify the hazards that contribute to injuries and change behaviors so that injuries can be avoided or minimized. Prevention, as well as hazard recognition and mitigation, are the key steps in maintaining a safe home, school, and work environment. The 5 E’s play a critical role in injury prevention.

Engineering is providing automatic protection by product or environment technology changes. This is the most successful injury prevention approach. enforcement is changing the behavior of an individual to enforce a new law. Educating people to alter behavior for increased self-protection is essential. Economic incentives are granted by the government and or private industries. An emergency response is required when their is a failure to manage the hazard using one of the four previous methods.

5 E’s applied to SIDS

Engineering: Since engineering is the most successful prevention to injury, modeling new cribs that are wider would be an excellent way to prevent SIDS. Sensors on the cribs mattress, when the back of the infants head isn’t on it the sensor an alarm goes off.

Enforcement: Every infant must have the sensors installed. Has to be kept until the age of at least one. Make it a law that every parent must have the sensor with infants at home. When infant is going for check-ups sensor must be brought with the child to ensure it is working.

Education: When infant is born, physicians are required to teach parents the proper way of putting infants to sleep. They should be taught on how to position the infant, how the infant should be wrapped and things to keep away from the infant when asleep.

Economic incentives: Free sensors for new born infants provided by the hospital. Replacements can also be provided by hospitals. Day cares are also required to have them.

Emergency response:  When child gets regular check-ups and the sensory is not working properly it must be renewed. Making sure the parent is still using it the proper way.

The 5 E’s are a way to take proper steps in reducing the number of infant deaths due to SIDS. This invention will create a better and safer environment for the infant.