2024-04-25 05:30:01
Despite the progress made, sudden infant death syndrome remains the leading cause of death in infants between 1 month and 1 year old, with 250 to 350 children affected each year in France. Where is the research on unexpected infant death? Why are the measures put in place not enough to eliminate these tragic deaths? Santé Sur le Net takes stock of research into sudden infant death syndrome.
Sudden infant death syndrome, leading cause of death between 1 month and 1 year
Faced with the significant number of cases of sudden infant death in the 1980s, major public health actions have been implemented since the 1990s, in particular prevention advice around the sleeping of newborns:
Lay infants in a dorsal position and no longer in a ventral position; Do not use a blanket in infant beds but a sleeping bag or sleeping bag; Remove fabric bumpers.
These prevention tips, relayed by the national “I sleep on my back” campaigns, have made it possible to reduce by more than 75% the number of child deaths from sudden infant death or unexpected infant death. However, France remains one of the European countries where the prevalence of these deaths remains the highest. And for several years, the figures have no longer decreased, but have stagnated. How to explain such a trend?
To know ! 5% of deaths linked to unexpected infant death occur before the age of 6 months, but the risk remains present until the age of 2 years
Read also – Bacterial infections in infants between 1 and 3 months
Research needed to understand the origin of unexpected infant death
According to Public Health France, better compliance with prevention measures could already make it possible to reduce the number of deaths by half. But research must also advance to understand the exact origins of these deaths. Studies have suggested that prone sleeping may not be the direct cause of sudden infant death syndrome. The sleeping method would only be the trigger. According to the researchers, the cause would be multifactorial, with a triple risk:
A fragile infant, for example a child born prematurely, or with a low birth weight; A critical period of its development, between the age of 1 and 6 months; Exposure to environmental factors (sleeping, but also passive smoking, occurrence of an infection, etc.).
But other avenues must be studied to better understand the causes of these deaths, in particular genetic, metabolic, neurological and physiological causes. Several studies have recently highlighted genetic variants associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death, including genetic variants linked to:
Rare heart diseases; Epilepsy; A deficiency in serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in awakening and breathing during sleep phases. Read also – Sudden infant death: a marker to predict it from birth?
7 essential prevention tips
While waiting to learn more about the origin of sudden infant death, prevention advice remains the best way to protect yourself against this risk. The following measures should be known and respected from the birth of the child until at least the age of two:
Do not expose an infant to tobacco smoke; Check the temperature of the room where the child sleeps, it must remain between 18 and 19°C; Always lay your child on their back flat; Put the child to sleep in his own bed, this bed being placed in the parents’ room until the age of 6 months; Opt for a rigid bed, with a firm mattress, without cocoon, without bed reducer, without headrest, without bed bumper, and without any object; Lay the child in a sleeping bag of his size and adapted to the season; Always keep the child’s head clear and not bent forward.
Breastfeeding is a protective factor against sudden infant death syndrome, as is the use of a pacifier for children with a strong need to suckle.
Read also – Unexpected infant death: the genetic trail is confirmed
Estelle B., Doctor of Pharmacy
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