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By Kirsten Houmann, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Most parents would do all they can to protect their baby from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). New research reveals one more measure they can take to keep their baby safe while sleeping.
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Results of a new study show having a fan on in the room where an infant sleeps reduces the risk of SIDS by 72 percent. In rooms with warmer room temperatures, fan use was associated with a 94 percent decreased risk.
Experts hypothesize this is because air movement in the room may decrease the accumulation of carbon dioxide around an infants nose and mouth and prevent re-breathing. Re-breathing takes place when a baby inhales his or her own carbon dioxide, and is the main hypothesized cause of the deadly syndrome.
Basically, our findings point out two things: one is sleeping environment matters, De-Kun Li, M.D., Ph.D., a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and corresponding author of the study, told Ivanhoe. Two if you increase the chance of re-breathing, the risk of SIDS increases.
The American Association of Pediatricians (AAP) currently recommends parents do the following to prevent SIDS: avoid soft bedding for your infant, dont let your infant share a bed, give your infant a pacifier to sleep with, and put your infant to sleep on his or her back.
Now, you have one more measure you can take if you wanted to further reduce the risk of SIDS, Dr. Li said.
Results show using a fan decreased the risk of SIDS even in infants who didnt sleep on their backs, shared a bed with someone other than their parents, or didnt use a pacifier. Dr. Li cautions parents to not view the fan as a replacement for any of the other AAP recommendations.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with De-Kun Li, M.D., Ph.D.;Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2008;162:963-968
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This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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