“MOTHER’S MILK: FOOD FOR SMARTER KIDS.” This was the headline in USA Today on February 2, 1992. In this study, researchers identified 288 studies on SIDS and breastfeeding from 1966 to 2009 and narrowed their analysis to 18 studies that met basic research quality criteria. If you do use a dummy, don't start until breastfeeding … For premature infants (those at highest risk for SIDS), this is a gradual learning process. The more stable the airway to breathing, the lower the risk of SIDS. It increases the sensitivity of a mother to any changes in her baby. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is less severe in breastfed infants than in infants fed artificial baby milks. The most convincing of which is that it provides vital fats, namely DHA for myelin, the insulating sheath around nerves that helps impulses travel faster. Breastfeeding for at least 2 months halves the risk of SIDS but the longer you can continue the more protection it will give your baby. Special nutrients in human milk that are not in artificial baby milk may be the answer. Human milk is not a foreign substance. Breast milk is all the nutrition your baby needs for their first 6 months of life. "All health professionals should speak in 1 voice about the importance of breastfeeding, which now adds SIDS risk reduction to its long list of maternal and infant health benefits." For premature infants (those at highest risk for SIDS), this is a gradual learning process. During my 50 years of watching mothers and babies, I have been impressed by the increased sensitivity breastfeeding mothers have toward their babies. All rights reserved. The Breastfeed Your Baby to Reduce the Risk of SIDS (PDF 485 KB) handout helps explain the information in the videos.. Breastfeed Your Baby to Reduce the Risk of SIDS (Full Length/1:20) I believe that an important piece of the SIDS puzzle is that some babies at risk of SIDS have overall disorganized physiology. From the Article "Breastfeeding is protective against SIDS, and this effect is stronger when breastfeeding is exclusive." Since tiny infants tend to have weak points in muscle support of their upper airways. I suspect that researchers have only scratched the surface of what amazing factors exist in human milk. If you are not breastfeeding, you can start a pacifier as soon as you like. Breastfeeding mothers I have interviewed, especially those who co-sleep, most often place their babies on their sides facing them. For more information on this topic, see The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning. A new review of recent research studies shows that infants who were breastfed were about 60% less likely to die from SIDS than infants who didn't receive any breast milk. Slings for Caregiving and Breastfeeding Baby, The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning, Baby Constipation: Stool-Softening Techniques. In the meantime, it’s possible that any one of the protective effects of breastfeeding could lower the SIDS risk. Breastfeeding your baby reduces the risk of SIDS. Authors said it was unclear why breastfeeding protected infants from SIDS but discussed several possibilities, including better arousal from sleep in breastfed babies. Babies who are breastfed for at least two month right after birth cut their risk of death due to SIDS by half, New York Daily News reports. Ways in which breastfeeding is thought to reduce the risk of SIDS: Breastfeeding boosts brain development, particularly for the central nervous system, which is essential to respiratory control during sleep. Breastfeeding rates in the United States are suboptimal, leading to higher healthcare expenditures, and more preventable infant mortality. This helps reduce the risk of SIDS. setTimeout("__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'Reading', '45 seconds')", 45000); © 2020 AskDrSears.com All Rights Reserved. Can formula-feeding mothers attain this high level of sensitivity to their babies? Public health messages that advise expecting mothers on ways to reduce SIDS risk should include breast-feeding, the researchers said. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to the WebMD, Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts, Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter. Mothers don't have to breastfeed exclusively to get the benefit, either. Not only does the … (Consider what happens if you put the wrong fuel into a car. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the baby’s first six months for a variety of health reasons, including reduced SIDs risk.