The current issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine includes information about a study done by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.
The findings are significant, and parents around the world should take note.
The study found that infants who slept in a bedroom with a fan venitlating the air had 72% lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, compared to infants who slept in a bedroom without a fan.
This is the first study of it's kind to find an association between better air ventilation in a baby's bedroom and reduced SIDS risk.
Researchers recommend adding a fan to the current recommendations for reducing the risk of SIDS, whcih include:
-placing a baby on his or her back to sleep
-using a firm mattress
-avoiding soft bedding materials like comforters and quiles
-keeping the nursery at a cooler temperature, rather than overly warm
-having a seperate sleeping environment for baby (in other words, don't sleep with the infant in your bed)
-not smoking around infants
-and using a pacifier
"More studies need to be done to determine the exact relationship between the types of ventilation and the risks of SIDS," said the study's author, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland, who also authored a study two years ago that found using a pacifier can reduce SIDS risk by 90 percent.
SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants aged 1 to 12 months, and the third leading cause of overall infant mortality in the United States. SIDS is defined as sudden death of an infant under the age of 1, which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including an autopsy, examination of the death scene and a review of clinical history.
Here's a link to an article published by Science Daily on this topic.
