SIDS Trainingfor

Childcare Providers/Foster Parents

Needs

Regular and ongoing SIDS education and

training programs for specific groups,

including childcare providers.

(SB1067 passed in 1989)

Needs

Information and instructional materials

relating to SIDS to be provided to family

day care homes and other child day

care facilities.

(AB757, effective July 1, 1998)

Needs

Training to provide information and materials which explain:

• Medical effects of SIDS

• Risk factors for SIDS

• Measures to reduce the risk of SIDS

We Will Talk About:

• What SIDS is and what it is not• How to reduce the risk of SIDS • The SIDS emergency• The investigation of the death• Your feelings following a SIDS death• How to talk to other children• What to say to the parents of a SIDS baby

Definition ofSudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

• The sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant usually under one year of age which remains unexplained after a:• complete medical history• death scene investigation• postmortem examination

SIDS is a Diagnosis of Exclusion

What Happens

• Baby is usually healthy or may have had sniffles or cold

•Baby is put down for nap or night

• Found dead minutes to hours later

• No sign of struggle or distress

SIDS can happen in any family

Facts about SIDS

• The leading cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age in the U.S.

• Happens in about one of every 1000 live births

• Happens most often between two and four months of age

• Happens most often in winter

SIDS is Not Caused by:

• Suffocation

• Vomiting or choking

• Child abuse

• Disease or illness

• Immunizations

Physical appearance of SIDS infant

• Exhibits no external signs of injury• Exhibits a “natural” appearance of a dead baby:

• Lividity—settling of blood, frothy drainage from nose/mouth

• Small marks, e.g., diaper rash may look more severe

• Cooling/rigor mortis—takes place quickly in infants, in as little as three hours

Difference Between SIDS and Child Abuse

Difference Between SIDS and Child Abuse

Distinguishable and visible signs of injury in infants less than one year of age• Broken bone(s)• Head trauma e.g., black eyes• Bruises• Scars• Burns• Welts• Cuts• Wounds

Maternal Risk Factors

• Young—less than 19 years of age

• Tobacco use doubles the risk of SIDS

• Substance use is associated with increased risk

• Limited or late prenatal care

• Short intervals between pregnancies

Infant Risk Factors for SIDS

• Male gender

• Infant age

• Low birth weight

• Multiple births

• Premature birth

Babies can die of SIDS without having risk factors

Multifactorial SIDS Theory

Infant’sPhysiologicResponses

Development Environment

SIDS

Infant’s Physiologic Responses

• Oxygen reduced, carbon dioxide increased

• Arousal response deficit

• Subtle brainstem dysfunction

• Slow development

Development—age vulnerability

• 2-4 months—75%

• 4-6 months—15%

• Respiratory system is unstable in all infants

• May take less of an environmental stress to trigger SIDS at this age.

Environmental Factors• Sleep position• Smoking• Temperature• Bedding• Swaddling• Season• Minor respiratory symptoms• Drug use• Poverty• Limited prenatal care

9 Ways to Reduce the Risk of SIDS1. Always place a baby on his/her Back to Sleep,

even for naps.2. Never allow smoking around a baby.3. Place a baby on a firm, flat surface to sleep.4. Remove all soft things such as loose bedding, pillows,

and stuffed toys from the sleep area.5. Never place a baby on a sofa, waterbed, soft chair, pillow

or bean bag.6. Take special precautions when a baby is in bed with you.7. Make sure a baby doesn’t get too hot.8. Keep a baby’s face and head uncovered during sleep.9. Share this information with everyone who cares for a baby.

What to Do in an Emergency

When a child does not respond:• Check for breathing• Call your local emergency number (911)• Begin CPR• Call a backup person to assist you• Explain to the other children what is

happening and remove them from the area of the emergency

• Contact the child’s parents

When SIDS Happens

• Baby found not breathing

• Call is made to 911

• EMS, fire or police respond

• Decision is made about CPR and transport

• Baby is pronounced dead

• Coroner goes to the death scene, home or hospital

The InvestigationThe law requires that an investigation be

conducted in all unexplained deaths.

You may be asked to help and be questioned by:

• Law enforcement

• Licensing

• Coroner

The Investigation Serves Three Purposes

• Helps determine the cause of death

• Helps us learn more about SIDS

• Reinforces that no one is to blame for a SIDS death

Coroner’s Responsibilities

• Investigate death scene• Obtain complete medical history• Have autopsy performed• Contact county health department• Notify parents of apparent cause of death• Inform California SIDS Program• Sign death certificate

Local Health Department Responsibilities• Contact family/childcare provider within three

working days

• Services to be provided:• Assess family, childcare provider/foster

parent or both • Crisis intervention and counseling • Referral to community services• Follow-up care to assess progress

• Submit report of contact to the California SIDS Program

The Parents

• The parent of the SIDS baby may ask you to go over and over what happened

• The parents of the other children may want to know what happened

Until the diagnosis of SIDS is made, both you and the parents will be anxious about

the baby’s death.

After a SIDS Event

• Share the facts

• Tell the parents what you told their children

• Give each family pamphlets about SIDS

• Ask a nurse or someone from your local parent support group to come and speak about SIDS.

How to Tell the Other ChildrenExplain things:

• Simply and truthfully• Use actual words like died and death, not words

like went away or asleepTell them:

• The baby died of SIDS, and no one is to blame• SIDS does not happen often and it only happens

to babies• They did nothing wrong

Encourage the children to:• Ask questions• Express and/or demonstrate their feelings

Your Feelings—What to Expect• Guilt• Distrust of your ability to care for children• Crying spells or depression• Loss of sleep or appetite• Anger• Fear that it will happen again• Over protectiveness or impatience with

the children• Abandoned and alone

Support and Services

• Ask friends, relatives, co-workers for support

• Remember, you are an important person and that your services are valuable

Do not quit

State Resources

California SIDS Program800-369-SIDS (7437)

www.californiasids.com

Community Care Licensing Child Care Advocacy Program

http://ccld.ca.gov/

Local Resources

Local Health Department SIDS Program_________________________

Local Bereavement Support Group_________________________

California SIDS Program

This PowerPoint presentation is copyrighted, but may be reproduced without permission.

We request that proper credit be given to: California Department of Health Services/

California SIDS Program

Produced by the California SIDS Program under funding by the California Department of Health Services, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Branch © 2005

California Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Program800-369-SIDS (7437) • www.californiasids.com