Child safety while sleeping. How to organize safe children's sleep. Separate sleeping area

And safety! Our article is devoted to the safety of children's sleep. This is a very important topic that is so little covered in Russia.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Death in a child's sleep in the first year of life is associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A perfectly healthy baby suddenly dies in his sleep. Most often, such cases are recorded during sleep, which is why this syndrome is called “death in the cradle.” Babies in the first year of life are most at risk of SIDS; the risk is especially high in babies in the second and third months of life. 90% of all cases occur in babies under 6 months.

However, SIDS is only part of the conditions that come under the term “Sudden Unexpected Death of Infants” (SUDI). A significant portion of cases of SUD are accidental asphyxia and suffocation in bed.

Ensuring your newborn sleeps safely is the most important step to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The unexpected death of a baby in a dream is a rare phenomenon in Russia only 43 cases per 100,000 children born were registered. However, attention should be paid to safe sleep management even if it saves the life of at least one child!

Sources of information about safe children's sleep

In Russia, unfortunately, a targeted unified campaign to inform parents has never been carried out; there is very little information in open sources. That is why we were forced to turn to foreign sources, in particular:

American Academy of Pediatricians www.aap.org
American Academy of Sleep Medicine sleepeducation.com
American National Sleep Foundation www.sleepfoundation.org
National Center for Sleep Research www.nhlbi.hih.gov
Infant Sleep Information Source www.isisonline.org.uk
Consumer Reports www.consumerreports.org
Consumer Product Safety Commission www.cpsc.org
American Institute of SDVS www.SIDS.com
SIDS Alliance www.firstcandle.com

In the same room with parents

One of the first questions that parents look for an answer to even before the baby is born is where will he sleep? It is important to know that sleeping in the same room with your parents for at least 6 months is much more comfortable and safer! It is important to understand that sleeping in the same room as your baby reduces the risk of SIDS by 50%

You will be able to hear and react quickly if your baby cries, burps, or has trouble breathing. In Russia, almost 100% choose to sleep in the same room with their baby up to 1 year of age.

Is it dangerous to take a child into your bed?

Adults have been taking in children since time immemorial! This is as old as time! Since ancient times, children and parents slept together for warmth and comfort. But the term “putting a baby to sleep” has been known since ancient times. What does this mean? These are situations in which a mother, having put the baby to bed next to her, breastfeeding him, falls asleep and accidentally (unintentionally!) presses the baby’s nose and mouth with her breast or another part of the body, as a result of which the child cannot breathe. Preventing this situation was the task of the zemstvo doctors of tsarist Russia, as well as the pediatricians of young Soviet Russia, from whom propaganda posters remained.

Over the past 20 years, scientists have devoted a lot of time and effort to the question: Is it dangerous to take children into your bed? The issue of the safety of a child's first year of life sleeping together in the same bed with parents or other people is the subject of active scientific research and controversy today.

The research results are somewhat troubling. Today, there is extensive statistics of tragic cases associated with sleeping in a parent's bed. It has been proven that co-sleeping, even in the absence of smoking and the use of alcohol and drugs by parents, is a high risk of developing SUD in the infant.

However, not all researchers support this view, emphasizing the strong evidence that co-sleeping with a baby helps support breastfeeding. There is an opinion that the issue of the safety of co-sleeping with a child should be discussed carefully, taking into account the cultural level of the family and the personal beliefs of the parents. A clear position on this issue is presented only American Academy of Pediatrics, which prohibits co-sleeping due to the high risk of developing SUD, especially for children in the first three months of life, even if the parents do not drink alcohol or smoke. This position was supported by Canada, Australia and Oceania, and most countries in Europe and Asia.

The best solution for you is to ensure that your baby sleeps directly next to your bed. In a cradle, in a side crib or in a bed with sides, but not in your bed!

It will be easier for you to feed and soothe your baby, and you will sleep better, knowing that you have taken all possible measures to ensure that your baby is not in danger.

Safe sleep - Unsafe sleep

9 mistakes in organizing Safe Children's Sleep in the image above (right block):

sleep in a separate room
sleeping on your side
head-to-bed position
pillow
two blankets
cap
the crib is by the window
the crib is next to the radiator
without a pacifier

If you have consciously chosen to Co-Sleep

If, no matter what you choose, you need to minimize potentially dangerous factors. Our recommendations will help you create a safe and comfortable environment and minimize the risk of trouble:

Your bed should be absolutely safe for your baby. The mattress should be hard, even, the sheet should be stretched and secured. You should not sleep on soft feather beds or water mattresses.
Use bed guards to prevent your baby from falling out of it.
If your bed is pushed up against a wall or furniture, check every day for any gaps between the bed and the wall where a child could fall.
The child should lie between the mother and the wall (not between the mother and father). Fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers do not have the maternal instinct, so they cannot feel the child. Often mothers wake up from the slightest movement of the baby.
IMPORTANT! If you find that you only wake up when your baby is already crying loudly, then you should seriously consider moving your baby to your own crib.
Use large mattresses to ensure there is enough space for everyone sleeping

Avoid co-sleeping with your baby if you are overweight as this can lead to dangerous situations. How to check how dangerous your weight is? If your baby rolls towards you because the mattress is too compressed under you and a depression is formed, then you should not practice SS
Remove all pillows and the heavy blankets from your bed.
Do not wear shirts and pajamas with ribbons and ties, and keep long hair away
Remove all jewelry at night
Do not use perfumes or creams with strong odors
Don't let pets sleep in the same bed as your baby
Never leave your baby alone in a large bed unless you are sure that he is completely safe.

Where, if not in his cozy and beautiful crib, is our baby completely safe? Everything in the crib is soft and comfortable, thought out to the smallest detail, soft sides and other nuances. But, nevertheless, children manage to find something in their cribs that can cause them pain, so we have prepared for you a detailed article on how to organize safe sleep for your baby, who sleeps with you or in a separate crib, which must be taken into account as the child grows older.

How to organize safe sleep for a baby up to six months

One of the main conditions for safe sleep is the prevention of SIDS - sudden infant death syndrome ("death in the cradle") - this is the death of a child under the age of 1 year in the absence of signs of illness. Risk factors are: baby sleeping on the side and stomach, smoking parents, overheating of the child, feather beds, pillows, blankets, too soft mattress, cracks, depressions and gaps between the elements of the bed or between the bed and other furniture, increased room temperature, not properly organized co-sleeping, prematurity and low birth weight. Based on this, we have compiled a list of rules that will significantly reduce the threat of SIDS.

Always place your baby on his back. This is the safest position. After the baby learns to roll over on his stomach on his own, he does not have to be returned to his original position. Stop swaddling as soon as your baby starts to roll over on his own.
Avoid overheating your baby, which is even much more dangerous for a baby than cold. At temperatures above 20 degrees, a full-term and healthy baby does not need a hat.
The baby should sleep on a flat, dense surface, without blankets, pillows, bumpers, or toys.
Children react very strongly to strong odors, so do not expose your baby to tobacco smoke, either while awake or asleep. The safety of electronic cigarettes and exhaled vapor for children has also not been proven to date. Do not use strong-smelling body care products, air fresheners, or fabric softener.
The ideal option for sleeping a child under 6 months is a crib in the parents' room, so that the baby is as close as possible to the mother during periods of night sleep, but on a separate surface.
Make sure that there are no ribbons, strings or chains 20 cm or more in length around or on the baby.
Organize co-sleeping in a planned and safe manner! We will describe in more detail how to do this later in this article.

The baby grows, and at the same time more and more skills appear that he masters. Most children sit up independently by six months, and at 8-10 months they stand up independently in the crib, pulling themselves up over the side. Along with the emergence of new skills, the mother must also take care of additional safety for the baby.

Remove the canopy and mobile as soon as the baby sits down. By reaching for them, he can overturn the structure on himself.
Eliminate bumpers and bumpers in the crib as soon as your baby starts trying to stand up. The bumper can become a kind of step, upon which the child will fall out of the bed.
Make sure that the toys in the crib do not have small spare parts (sewn on eyes, noses, etc.) that could be swallowed. The same applies to the clothes of little explorers. There is no need for all sorts of tiny beads, sequins and other beauty on pajamas.
Remember to lower the bottom of the crib to the lowest possible setting if your baby is already standing.
Place the bed away from sockets, power supplies, switches, and batteries.
Make sure there are no loose cords from curtains or blinds near the crib.

Despite the fact that most pediatric communities in different countries do not recommend co-sleeping, because... it potentially carries risks associated with trauma to the baby and SIDS, at some point you may decide that this type of sleep arrangement is most convenient for you. Please make sure that when deciding to co-sleep, you fulfill all the conditions for its safe organization:

The decision to co-sleep should be made mutually by mom and dad, as the decision will make a difference for the entire family.
Sleeping together should be organized on a bed installed in such a way as to eliminate the risk of falling as much as possible (pushed into a corner so that its two sides are enclosed by a wall, or a special side is attached). On such a bed there should be no headboard or footboard where a child could roll, there should be no depressions, cracks, openings between mattresses, etc. A sofa or waterbed is not suitable for safe co-sleeping!!!
The bed should be made with a fitted sheet and should not have blankets, rugs, pillows or other loose objects.
Ideally, only one adult and no more than one child should sleep in a bed with a child, or the child should always sleep on the mother's side, who is more sensitive in sleep for a number of reasons.
The adult should not be under the influence of alcohol, sedatives (or other medications that compromise the ability to wake up), or be in a state of extreme fatigue.
The clothes in which the mother sleeps should not have small parts, embroidery, sequins, ribbons, elastic bands or other decorations - otherwise the baby may get entangled in them or swallow them.
To prevent the child from overheating, the best option would be just warm pajamas and socks; in no case should you cover the baby with your blanket.
If a child sleeps outside the confines of a crib with sides, he should be under constant visual supervision of an adult.

Take care of the kids!

At the beginning of the second month of life, the baby still spends most of his time sleeping: an average of 19 hours a day. In order for him to be as comfortable as possible, and for you to be calm about your baby, you should follow some rules.

Promote healthy sleep

Whether your baby is a big sleeper or not, the following tips, most of which help recreate the comfort of the womb, will help you improve the quality of his sleep.

The child does not sleep well

Children who are carried a lot sleep a lot, which can have two adverse effects.

On the one hand, they get used to prolonged sleep, on the other hand, they often sleep so much during the day that they sleep poorly at night. If your baby falls asleep as soon as he is placed in a carrier or sling, limit its use.

COMFORTABLE BED - In the first weeks of life, many newborns feel that the crib space is too big for them and begin to cry when they are placed in the middle of the mattress. If it seems to you that your baby is uncomfortable in the crib, then let him sleep for the first few months in a cradle, cradle-basket or stroller cradle, the limited space of which resembles the mother's womb. To further increase your baby’s sense of security, you can put him in a sleeping bag.

ROOM TEMPERATURE - The temperature in the room should be from 18 to 20 °C. Feeling cold or hot can disrupt your baby's sleep.

SOOTHING MOVEMENTS - In the mother's womb, the child is active in those moments when the mother is at rest. When she gets up and walks, he calms down, rocked by her movement. And later, movement has a calming effect on children. Rocking, rocking or lightly patting will help your baby feel comfortable and sleep well.

QUIET PLACE - Babies sleep better in a separate room, not because they are disturbed by your presence, but because then you are less tempted to take the child in your arms at the slightest sigh, thereby needlessly interrupting his sleep. Just stay close to hear his cries before they turn into screams, or use a baby monitor.

Be careful not to confuse light sleep with wakefulness: your baby may appear excited, open his eyes, smile, or whine while still sleeping. However, if you pick him up, it will be difficult for him to fall back to sleep. Wait until you are sure he is awake.

RITUAL - Considering that babies most often fall asleep at the breast or while sucking on the nipple of a bottle, a sleep ritual seems unnecessary. However, it is never too late to start, and at the age of 6 months such a ritual should become daily. Bathing, quiet play or a lullaby will calm the baby. Breastfeeding or a bottle of formula can complete the ritual or be offered a little earlier to babies who already know how to fall asleep on their own.

REST DURING THE DAY - Some parents try to solve the problem of sleep at night by keeping children awake more during the day, even if the child wants to sleep. This is a gross mistake (although limiting the duration of daytime sleep is a good idea), since the sleep of a tired child is more nervous than the sleep of a rested baby.

Attention!

When leaving your child with another person (nanny, grandparents, friend or wet nurse), make sure that person understands the need and importance of putting the child to sleep in the supine position.

Preventive measures for sudden infant death syndrome

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death from respiratory arrest of a healthy child between 1 and 12 months of age. The maximum risk of SIDS occurs between 3 and 6 months.
SIDS is not associated with childhood illnesses.
Nowadays, researchers have come to believe that children exposed to SIDS appeared to be quite healthy, but they had a predisposition. In such children, the brain control center has not matured, which wakes us up in case of discomfort or respiratory arrest. Sudden death can also be caused by heart failure.
Precautions to reduce the impact of some causes of SIDS:
- Tobacco increases the risk of sudden death. Therefore, its consumption is strictly prohibited before, during and after pregnancy.
- It is necessary to place the baby on a firm mattress and only on its back or side. Since in a position on the stomach or on a soft mattress, the access of air to the child is reduced both for ventilation of the body, which interferes with its thermoregulation, and for normal breathing.
- The child should not be tightly wrapped. He should sleep in a room with an average temperature (18-20 ° C), without a warm blanket and pillow. If necessary, place a humidifier in your child's room.
- If a child has a runny nose, you should properly treat it and care for the baby. Namely: to clear the nose by instilling physiological fluid, since the baby does not know how to breathe through the mouth.

Threesome sleep

Many parents put their children to sleep in the same bed with them. My daughter often wakes up, and it seems to me that such a solution to the problem would suit everyone, and we could sleep longer.

Proponents of co-sleeping put forward many arguments: it strengthens family ties, makes it easier to feed and lull the child to sleep. In France, experts oppose this practice, which is widespread on the other side of the Atlantic. The parents' bedroom should remain a place of privacy. In addition, the child needs such separation in order to perceive himself as an independent person.

The parent's bed can become a meeting place and be "family" only occasionally; You can bring your baby here to breastfeed or give him a bottle if you prefer. Let us add that sleeping three or more people in the same bed seems risky.

To ensure the safety of a child in a parent's bed, a number of special precautions must be taken. The mattress should be firm (no foam or water mattresses) and covered with sheets or a mattress protector that fit snugly around the mattress. Avoid using blankets. There should be no risk of a child falling into the openings between parts of the bed (the distance between the headboard elements should not exceed 6 cm in width; there should be no space between the bed frame and the mattress).

Never place your child against a wall (he could fall between the wall and the bed and get stuck), nor in a place where he could fall out of bed. Never leave your baby to sleep with a parent who is a heavy sleeper, or who is intoxicated or taking sleeping pills. Never let an older child sleep next to an infant. Never smoke or allow anyone to smoke in bed, as this increases the risk of sudden death (and fire).

The best way to keep your baby close to you and safe is to place his crib next to yours, and this situation should be temporary.

Observation after illness

Yesterday afternoon I discovered that my baby had turned blue and was lying absolutely motionless in his crib. Distraught with panic, I grabbed him, and he began to breathe again. The doctor wants to hospitalize him for examination.

No matter how terrifying the experience, in some ways it is better to have the experience. As a result, not only did your baby get out of this situation, but now you, as well as your attending physician, are warned about the possibility of a relapse, which increases the chances of a successful outcome. Your doctor recommends hospitalization and testing to prevent this from happening again.

Your baby had a serious problem, but this does not mean sudden death may have occurred or that the baby is in danger. As a precaution and to determine what caused the respiratory arrest, the hospital will conduct an examination, including interviews, listening, ultrasound, various tests, and may use monitoring to detect other episodes of prolonged respiratory arrest. The same examination is performed on children who have not had a history of respiratory arrest but whose brother or sister has been a victim of sudden infant death syndrome.

The result of the examination sometimes allows us to identify a simple cause - infection, convulsions or airway obstruction - which can be eliminated and relapse avoided.

If the cause cannot be determined or pulmonary or cardiac problems are discovered that increase the risk of sudden death, your doctor may recommend that you monitor your baby's breathing and/or heartbeat at home using a special monitor.

Don't let this episode, hospitalization, or monitoring become the center of your worries and worries. Your baby is quite likely completely healthy, and you will make him a “patient”, which will interfere with his normal growth and development. If monitor monitoring escalates the situation instead of defusing it, seek help from a doctor or qualified professional, but do not stop using the monitor.

Six states of consciousness

Baby behavior is much more complex than it might seem at first glance. It can be divided into 6 states of consciousness.

Calm wakefulness

Children in a state of quiet wakefulness are inactive. They focus on watching (with their eyes wide open) and listening. This state is the ideal moment to communicate with your baby. Newborns spend approximately 2.5 hours a day in this manner.

Active wakefulness

When a child is actively awake, he moves his arms and legs and sometimes makes soft sounds. Despite the fact that the baby looks at a little bit of everything, he concentrates more on objects rather than people. Most often, children are in this state before feeding.

Cry

Of course, this condition is most typical for newborns. Children cry when they are hungry, feel discomfort, feel sad when they are not given enough attention or when they simply feel unhappy.

Drowsiness

Children are in a state where they wake up briefly or doze off. They have charming but strange movements and facial expressions (for example, furrowing their eyebrows), their eyelids are slightly drooping, and their eyes are sleepy.

Restful sleep

The baby's face is relaxed, the eyelids are closed. Body movements are rare and limited to minor twitching of the limbs or movements of the lips, breathing is even. The phases of restful sleep alternate with phases of light sleep every 30 minutes.

Shallow sleep

Children are in this state (much more relaxed than it might seem) for half the time they sleep. The eyes are closed, but the pupils move frequently and quickly under the eyelids. Breathing is uneven, sometimes babies make sucking or chewing movements with their mouths or even smile. Their legs and arms may jerk in different directions.