I think any mum sitting down to write an article on this topic would feel the same – the first sentence and I can hardly breathe. I can’t possibly try to empathise with or understand how the horror of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) must make a family feel, it’s beyond the scope of my words and heavily beyond the strength of my heart. So I begin this article with a huge sorrow and sadness for those families already affected and also with a clear purpose of writing in the hope that together, as parents, we can ensure that our babies are exposed to as few risk factors as physically possible.
According to the HSE website SIDS can be defined as “the sudden unexpected death of an apparently well infant for which there is no explanation”. They also say that “most babies die in their sleep peacefully”.
SIDS is not common – that is important to know – but from the most up to date information I could find it still claimed the lives of 34 babies in Ireland in 2004. This is significantly reduced from 134 babies per year in the 1980s. Babies are less affected when they start to gain mobility at about five months of age. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to take away from this article is that reducing the risk factors for SIDS has reduced the amount of babies that have died. So the advice you hear at every hospital appointment, GP or public health nurse visit is all trying to deliver the same message – if you follow the guidelines for SIDS risk reduction you reduce the risk of your baby being affected.
What do we know?
It is also important to appreciate that whilst some risk factors have been associated with SIDS the cause actually remains unknown. Sometimes there are no answers to the questions SIDS must raise, even though I imagine answers are what you would actually need and be looking for. With this in mind I think all we can do is the best with the information that we DO know.
We know that 9 out of 10 SIDS deaths occur when a baby is six months or younger. We know that more baby boys than girls die from SIDS (1.5 : 1). We know that premature and low birth weight babies have an increased risk of SIDS. We know that exposure to tobacco smoke can increase your babies risk of SIDS x 8! We know that smoking during pregnancy can increase your babies risk of SIDS x 4! We know that sleeping with an adult increases the risk of SIDS and that this risk increases if the adult has consumed ANY alcohol or drugs which may cause drowsiness. We know that putting a baby to sleep on their tummy or side increase the risk of SIDS. We know that a baby using a duvet, quilt or pillow under one year of age is more at risk of SIDS. Finally we know that a baby who is over heated through their clothes or environment is at increased risk of SIDS. So actually we know a lot.
How do we use this info to reduce the risk of SIDS?
Place your baby on their back when putting them down for sleep. If they roll onto their tummy with physical ability and by choice it’s ok but don’t place them to sleep on their tummy. Their feet should be touching the foot of the cot.- Use thin blankets or sheets no higher than their shoulders and tuck them in so that they can’t slip over their heads. Alternatively I found it easier to use baby sleeping bags. Always use the correct size sleeping bag for your baby as otherwise it may slip over their heads – if the small size of sleeping bag seems too big just use blankets for a few more weeks.
- Do tummy time to help develop strength and muscle tone – you can read more about this in my flat head article by clicking here.
Eradicate all exposure of tobacco smoke to your baby – quit smoking if your can or if not ensure you smoke outside (another room in the house or out the window will not completely get rid of the smoke – you may not be able to smell or see it but it can linger for a couple of hours in a room.) Don’t handle the baby or let another smoker soon after a cigarette. For support to quit smoking check out this great website – www.quit.ie – loads of brilliant support and tips available!- Its been found that the lowest risk of SIDS is in babies who sleep in a cot or crib in the same room as their parents until they are six months of age. I found a co-sleeper crib great as it meant I had a lot of the convenience of co-sleeping whilst breastfeeding and recovering from c-section but also the baby had the safety of their own space – in my room.
- Whilst the evidence is not robust on this tip it’s still worth mentioning that soother use has been associated with a reduction in SIDS risk. Obviously if your baby doesn’t take to a soother then there’s nothing you can do about it, but if your baby does like a soother at bed time then it’s no harm – and if it falls out when they’re asleep there is no need to put it back in unless they look for it 🙂 For lot’s of more information on soother use check out my full blog by clicking here!
- Don’t use a duvet, quilt or pillow for your baby if they are under 12 months of age.
- Keep the temperature of their bedroom between 16 and 20 degrees celcius – ideally 18!
- Don’t place their cot, crib, or moses basket next to a radiator, heater, fire or in direct sunlight.
- Babies regulate their heat a lot using their heads – so no hats in bed.
- Use a firm clean mattress which fits the cot or basket well – with no gaps down the sides.
Whilst it’s important to be aware of the risk factors and reduce them where you can I think as parents we would find it hard to cope if you thought this was a common occurrence which was a big risk to your baby every day. So using the most recent figure I could see of 34 Cot Deaths per year in 2004 and also looking at the stats for 2016 – it would mean that to the 34 babies who died there were 63,863 who did not. We can’t always fear what might happen, if we are taking reasonable precautions to reduce risk factors and act as responsible parents I think we have to just believe that everything will be fine and enjoy our beautiful WonderBabas as they grow and develop into amazingly unique and perfect individuals with more wonder to reveal each day.
If you would like to learn more about SIDS or need support there are some great resources available in Ireland:
- HSE Website – http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/az/C/Cot-death/Preventing-sudden-infant-death-syndrome.html
- First Light – a fantastic source of support and guidance https://firstlight.ie/
I hope you found this information helpful and as always don’t hesitate to contact me on the WonderBaba Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/wonderbabacare) with any questions or for one to one advice for your little one! You can also consult with me in person at Milltown totalhealth Pharmacy in Dublin 6 or over the phone on 012600262
Vitamin D also known as The Sunshine Vitamin!
You should choose a product suitable for babies with just Vitamin D3 in it – if you feel your baby needs other multivitamins you should read my full multivitamin guide by clicking here as there are a few vitamins which you can take too much of, vitamin D is one of these, so you have to be careful. Vitamin D products differ in dosages in different formulations so always read the label on the product you buy to make sure you are giving a suitable dose. Abidec Vitamin D3 drops comes in a slightly aniseed flavour which babies don’t seem to mind at all and you just need to give one drop! I found it useful to give it whilst changing nappy as I was more likely to remember when I saw it beside the nappy things and it was easy to drop into their mouths as they lay back. BabyVit D3 pump also contains one daily dose per single pump and some mums prefer using this to drops – a personal choice!
I hope you found this information helpful and as always don’t hesitate to contact me on the WonderBaba Facebook page (
Protecting your very precious cargo is your priority when pregnant, but does this mean you need to reduce or stop exercising like many people think? Absolutely not is the answer! In fact, so long as you are exercising caution and good common sense, as well as your body, you will actually increase your own health and that of your unborn baby too!
We always get advertising material into the Pharmacy from all of the different multivitamin brands making great claims about the benefits of their own products. Even Pharmacists and Pharmacy staff can find it overwhelming trying to decipher what the actual vitamin content is and determine the benefits and downfalls of one product in comparison to another. The vitamin market is a particularly busy one! There are so many different products and all have strengths and weaknesses so I have done my best to select the 14 most popular children’s multivitamins and I have literally laid them side by side so we can explore which product meets your individual child’s needs. 
The’right’ time for potty training is a topic of great debate! In America potty tends to happen before the age of two but in Ireland it’s much more likely to be over two or even approaching three! The right time is when your child is showing signs of readiness and most importantly you have the available necessary time to support your child through this large transition to avoid it becoming a negatively fuelled battle. There are certain pressures from society now which do encourage parents to take the task in hand a little earlier such as requirements by Montessori schools etc which now start earlier for many children with the introduction of a second free Pre ECCE year. This has changed the starting age for Montessori of many children to three rather than four. Many montessoris have a requirement for children to be fully toilet trained before starting which would mean you would need to make a start on it at about two and a half years of age.
There are many signs of readiness, these include: 
I have never read a blog that reflects the cruelty of the impact that this illness can have over a woman whilst she’s ‘glowing’ during her pregnancy. This blog is written by an old friend of mine and is well worth a read! 
I hope you found this information helpful and as always don’t hesitate to contact me on the WonderBaba Facebook page (
The first thing I have to say is that suppositories are not as scary as some people think, they are just cone-shaped boluses of medicine which can be easily given to your child to treat pain of fever when a liquid is not suitable. Suppositories available to treat fever and pain include ones based on paracetamol such as Paralink and Tipol, and ones based on ibuprofen such as nurofen. These are both suitable from three months of age – just make sure to read the packaging to get the correct dosing for your child.
Using suppositories is more invasive than using oral medicine so a correct approach and a respect for your child’s comfort is essential. I will explain in the next section how to use them but now I just want to emphasise that when used properly with a willing child they are so simple, easy and convenient to use. I personally feel that a child who is still in nappies is an ideal candidate for this method of giving medicine – they are used to you cleaning and touching their nappy area and so will not be distressed when you insert the suppository – in fact many children will not even notice!! I also think it is a different situation when a child is out of nappies and unless you have the child’s permission and general understanding of what is going to happen I think the oral route of medicine is best when possible. Another factor to consider is that suppositories have been proven effective for the treatment of pain or fever but they may actually take a little longer to take effect than oral medicine.
Some Useful Hints
Who should not use suppositories?
I hope you found this information helpful and as always don’t hesitate to contact me on the WonderBaba Facebook page (
In the early 1990s advice was issued for parents to place their babies to sleep only on their backs. This recommendation was introduced by the American Academy of Pediatrics as babies who sleep on their backs have been proven to be less likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. I’ll write another article explaining all about SIDS soon but it’s just important to highlight why we are correctly advised to place babies to sleep on their backs when we are discussing flat head syndrome.