I know im paranoid but...

[Kristalebear1]

The day I went in for an induction the OB on call that handled my induction, (but not the actual birth) asked me a question during a quick ultrasound to get Isobel's weight estimate... I had already been asked all my booking questions, and she asked this during/right after the ultrasound. She asked if I had any family history of crib death (SIDS), and now I deathly terrified. At first I said no, and then it hit me that my grandmother had a baby girl that died of crib death when my mother was about 5yrs old. My grandparents actually took my mother to the hospital because she had stopped breathing and when they got back the baby was dead (yes there was a sitter).

My LG is almost 2 weeks old now, and I can't figure out why she asked me that.. Why would she? I'm now worried and freaking out. I can't sleep at night and I know its going to get worse soon as she gets closer to approaching 2 months.

 

[MindUtopia]

I think it's an odd question as well, particularly without an explanation as to why she would ask it. As far as I know, there is no absolutely confirmed anatomical explanation for SIDS. SIDS is a really broad category that includes deaths where babies unfortunately died do to unsafe sleeping conditions (toys, pillows, bumpers), overheating, or parental suffocation (falling asleep with your baby on the couch), as well as some possible inner ear abnormalities/damage that affect breathing, but this is still very, very tentative as this research is still ongoing. I think the theory is that inner ear damage can occur at birth that might affect breathing in early life, but that's obviously not something that could be seen on a scan in utero. Here's one article about it: https://www.seattlechildrens.org/about/stories/listening-to-a-hunch/

It's obviously easy to worry about these things, particularly when someone says something like that to you (also, just what awful bedside manner!), but be comforted by making sure baby is sleeping safely. Ideally, close to you (you can actually regulate your baby's breathing and even restart breathing just by being close by and letting them sync their breathing to yours) and in a sleeping space free from anything that could be a hazard and on a good firm mattress. Also, be reassured that lots of babies unfortunately were lost in the earlier part of this century simply because we didn't know about what's safe. It could have been (and actually would have been likely given the time) that she was very tightly bundled, had lots of pillows or blankets, and may have been exposed to environmental hazards that we don't typically see in homes today, which would have created heightened risk. My grandmother also had a baby who died very early, but we know now that it was do to lead poisoning because he had a metal crib painted in lead paint. No one realised that was dangerous back then, so it was really common in children's furniture, which may have also been in the case in your family but no one knew that. So just try to be reassured that you've done everything you can to be safe and try not to let it eat away at you too much.

 

[_Meep_]

Don't worry. It's incredibly rare. I've read that there is some evidence that cot deaths may be linked to a faulty gene or mechanism in the brain that prevents certain babies from waking when their airway is compromised in some way - for example, if their face became covered by a blanket. This is not set in stone though and they basically don't actually know why it happens.

There are many steps you can take to prevent cot death. Always put your baby to sleep on her back. Don't use a cot bumper. Place your baby with her feet at the bottom of her cot and use a cellular blanket or similar blanket with holes, tucked in around the mattress. Even better, use a baby sleeping bag which fits correctly so she can't wriggle down inside it. Keep your baby's room at the right temperature and always make sure she isn't too hot or cold. A dummy/pacifier may help too as the handle can keep bedding away from the mouth and nose if it does happen to cover the face.

I bang on about this all the time, but something that helped me was using a monitor that has a sensor pad under the mattress. It is connected to an alarm and ticks quietly with every breath. If the baby stops breathing, the alarm goes off. I wouldn't have slept at all without it, and still use it now, even though our SIDS risk is virtually nil these days at 11 months.

 

[Hoping4peanut]

That is such an odd question. Have you thought of getting in touch with the doctor to find out why she asked that? It's is possible there is a reasonable explanation like, she asks it to all or something. It might ease your mind to just get in touch.

The sids paranoia is something I worry about too. Mine is almost 1 and I check on her all the time. So I am no helps this department. Wondering lately when I can stop worrying.

Thinking of you. This paranoia can become obsessive and really disrupt your sleep. Keep an eye on it. I ended up in therapy twice a week with a little postpartum.

Just know though that some of this fear is one hundred percent normal. All new moms hover over baby's crib at night occasionally.

I would just get in touch with that doctor. No use letting your mind wander!

 

[TTC First]

I agree with _Meep_. I am sure this happened more in the past because people were not taking persuasions like we do today. I would simple sugars reading up on crib safety and make sure you follow it. There is nothing else that you can do once you have a safe crib so try not to stress and worry about the issue. It is so infrequent that I would worry more about my lo choking on food than SIDS.