Tag: sudden infant death syndrome

Cleveland Clinic Drops the Ball in an Attempt to Educate Parents on Safe Sleep

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. More Cleveland Clinic more problems, this time it's some questionable advice on safe sleep for infants.

/ June 10, 2022

CDC Data Reveals Frustrating Infant Death Statistics

Since the significant decrease in the rates of sudden unexpected infant deaths in the 90s, we have hit a bit of a wall and there is much we don't know about this complicated problem. A new study analyzing CDC data is a step in the right direction.

/ May 14, 2021

Yes, You Can Swaddle Your Baby…But a Sleep Sack is Probably the Safest Option

Taking care of a baby can be scary, and there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. This is especially true when it comes to recommendations on the safety of swaddling. While not completely risk free, swaddling can be done safely and the benefits likely outweigh the risk. But you can always just use a sleep sack.

/ February 5, 2021

Rise of the Miscellany of Medical Malarkey…Again

More deaths in the European measles outbreak. Experts call for a national registry of sleep-related deaths in infants. Raw milk puts several Tennessee children in the intensive care unit. Oh, and medicinal dog urine. It must be time for another miscellany of medical malarkey.

/ June 29, 2018

No, a Vaccine Court ruling does not show that vaccines cause SIDS

There was a rumbling in the antivaccine underground over the weekend about a recent ruling by the Vaccine Court compensating parents of a child who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In a confused and scientifically highly flawed decision, the Special Master Thomas Gowen didn't rule that vaccines cause SIDS, but did rule that they contributed to SIDS in this one...

/ August 21, 2017

Efforts to Encourage Breastfeeding Like the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) May Have Unintended Consequences

“Breast is best,” but current efforts to increase the rate of breastfeeding may be misguided. A recent article in JAMA Pediatrics by pediatricians Joel Bass, Tina Gartley, and Ronald Kleinman is titled “Unintended Consequences of Current Breastfeeding Initiatives.” They criticize the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), saying “there is now emerging evidence that full compliance…may inadvertently be promoting potentially hazardous practices and/or having...

/ August 30, 2016

Kangaroo Mother Care, Skin-To-Skin Contact, and the Risk of Sudden Unexpected Postnatal Collapse

In January, a study published in Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ flagship peer-reviewed journal, presented evidence in support of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) and its primary intervention: prolonged skin-to-skin contact (SSC) between a mother and her newborn child. I was originally asked to discuss this report at the time by the editors of The Scientific Parent, which is a great resource...

/ February 12, 2016

Separating Fact From Fiction in the Not-So-Normal Newborn Nursery: Pacifiers and Nipple Confusion

My first “real world” employment after completing residency was as a full-time newborn hospitalist in Houston. After spending three years in Space City, often rounding on as many as 30 newborn infants in the Level 1 and Level 2 units each day at the county hospital, I feel as if I’ve probably about seen it all when it comes to the nursery....

/ September 27, 2013

Chiropractic and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

As a pediatrician caring for hospitalized children, I deal with fear on a daily basis. My day is saturated with it. I encounter fear in a variety of presentations, with parental fear the most obvious but probably least impactful on my management decisions. I do spend a lot of time and mental energy calming the fears of others but more managing my...

/ March 1, 2013