SIDS prevention
Unfortunately for Ethan and I, SIDS is incredibly close to home and very real. I would never wish having to do infant CPR on my worst enemy. It is terrifying, life altering, and has definitely robbed me of my "innocence" when it comes to things that can go wrong. Fortunately our story had a happy ending, but I know that there are many parents who lose their babies to SIDS, and so I have been somewhat "obsessive" about researching and learning everything that I can since it happened. I know a lot more about SIDS and apnea than the typical pediatrician does, because we worked with apnea specialists after what happened. It's actually quite shocking how little pediatricians know. Example: many pediatricians will recommend allowing your baby to sleep in a swing or carseat for long periods of time if they think your baby has reflux or you complain of having problems getting them to sleep. This is actually one of the most dangerous things you can do, and your baby's risk factors skyrocket when they sleep in this position because of how their spine is aligned which puts pressure on the vasgus nerve. Flat on the back is best. Dealing with severe reflux is a little bit different, but flat on the back is still best with a slight incline of a crib mattress - NOT in a carseat or swing. I understand some parents are at their wits' end with their babies and swear that it's the only way to get their baby to sleep. Plenty of people I know do this and nothing happened, but we are not willing to take that risk knowing what can happen.
Since apnea monitors are extremely expensive to buy or rent (and even I thought that would be over the top), I researched a lot of different products out there. One was the AngelCare monitor, which is a sensor pad that goes underneath the crib mattress. It works until baby starts moving around, and SIDS risk does not end until 9 months of age. So that was out. Then I was told about the Snuza Halo, which is a really cool device that actually clips onto the baby's diaper with a sensor that monitors tummy movement (rise and fall with each breath). If no movement is detected after 15 seconds, the device vibrates to hopefully startle the baby into breathing again. If no movement happens within 5 seconds of the vibration, an alarm goes off to (a) hopefully wake the baby and (b) alert us to get to the baby hopefully in time to restart breathing if they have stopped. I don't care if we have false alarms sometimes and our baby is awakened "unnecessarily". A crying baby means a living baby. Since the Snuza is so small (and portable!) it can go everywhere...in the car on road trips, in the baby carrier when the baby is sleeping, etc.
While I am fully aware that we have no control over many things when it comes to having children, this will provide a lot of peace of mind for Ethan and I to know that our child's breathing is being constantly monitored. I never thought that I would ever have to deal with a SIDS event in my lifetime, and I did. I'd rather be overprepared than not prepared at all.
Since apnea monitors are extremely expensive to buy or rent (and even I thought that would be over the top), I researched a lot of different products out there. One was the AngelCare monitor, which is a sensor pad that goes underneath the crib mattress. It works until baby starts moving around, and SIDS risk does not end until 9 months of age. So that was out. Then I was told about the Snuza Halo, which is a really cool device that actually clips onto the baby's diaper with a sensor that monitors tummy movement (rise and fall with each breath). If no movement is detected after 15 seconds, the device vibrates to hopefully startle the baby into breathing again. If no movement happens within 5 seconds of the vibration, an alarm goes off to (a) hopefully wake the baby and (b) alert us to get to the baby hopefully in time to restart breathing if they have stopped. I don't care if we have false alarms sometimes and our baby is awakened "unnecessarily". A crying baby means a living baby. Since the Snuza is so small (and portable!) it can go everywhere...in the car on road trips, in the baby carrier when the baby is sleeping, etc.
While I am fully aware that we have no control over many things when it comes to having children, this will provide a lot of peace of mind for Ethan and I to know that our child's breathing is being constantly monitored. I never thought that I would ever have to deal with a SIDS event in my lifetime, and I did. I'd rather be overprepared than not prepared at all.
Comments