Originally Posted by mac60:
Wow, so sad. But, for centuries babies have been put to sleep with a blanket in the crib/bed. How many of you go to sleep with nothing over you. This whole sids thing is scary. When my own children were babies, it was recommended that they be placed on their belly. Then that changed. I honestly don't think the experts really know what causes it-sids-but I personally think that the whole sids thing is just an unfortunate thing that happens to very young infants. Not because some one put a blanket over an infant to keep them warm or put their favorite stuffed animal in the crib.
As far as home daycare vs center daycare......people choose home daycare because it is more personal and homey.
And question....many doctors will recommend a young infant to be swaddled, how can you do that when you are not allowed to put an infant in a crib with a blanket.
This whole thing is so tragic, for everyone. My prayers for the families and providers who have lost a little one. I have wrestled with whether or not to provide care for infants for that same reason. There are many theories about SIDS- from shots, to a short circuit in the temperature/breathing regulatory system in the brain. We all have SIDS training, but it doesn't tell us what to do in case of a death at all- I can imagine the sheer horror, shock and panic. Training tells your head what to do, but kind of like martial arts classes give you techniques for defense, preparation for the actual panic of the moment is another thing altogether. I never take new families with infants, only existing families as they give birth to new ones. Still, most babies are put to sleep at home with a blanket, and many won't sleep without it. Also "back to sleep" is fine, but babies roll over sometimes by 3 months. Parents also bring sick babies to daycare more than anyone wants to admit- and parents anxious to get to work and pay the bills may medicate to hide symptoms, or ignore "colds" that can be very serious in small babies. In trying to allow babies quiet to sleep in they are out of sight, and a baby monitor picks up cries, but not silence. The risk to a provider and their family is so huge its a wonder any woman can go back to work before 6 months, at least. The removal of the "evidence" in this case as a cop's wife makes me a bit nervous, however, if the provider thought the child had swine flu or pneumonia and freaked, it could happen. Nothing can bring that beautiful baby back, and even if it wasn't the providers fault the baby died, her life and her families will be destroyed as well.
So the real question is, what is to be done? Modify training and create a protocol for how to handle a SIDS emergency. Just like CPR and our fire drills, if we practice and repeat a set approved procedure enough, hopefully even in shock we can go through the appropriate motions to reassure the family, ourselves and the licensor that everything was done to care appropriately for that baby. Make sure parents of newborns know and understand the child can't sleep w/ a blanket at daycare, and why- encouraging them to not make the baby "blanket dependent" so there is even a moments temptation to comfort an infant with their blanket. Make parents see the SIDS and Shaken baby videos in the hospital to understand the risk, so they check up on the provider by surprise often in the initial phases of care to ensure things are actually done as the provider states they are. Have a handbook that is discussed at interviews w/ infant parents about SIDS and other health issues, and let the parent know the slightest suspicion of poor health- congestion, excessive crying etc in any baby under 6 or 8 months old requires immediate pickup by a parent.