[To Prevent from SIDS]

It is very important for preventing the onset of SIDS to know the reasons why infants are "sensitive to heat."

It is possible to know whether the environmental temperature is suitable for infants, if they are observed carefully by their behaviors and also by sweating and the temperature of hands and feet. This is because the behaviors of the infants, that is, sleeping (statics) and crying (dynamics) show a part of the mechanism of thermoregulation. Differences in the balance of thermolysis and thermogenesis may lead to differences ("statics" and "dynamics") in the behavioral patterns of infants. When infants cry all the time drawing their legs and arms, they feel cold in most cases. However, they do not feel cold when they are sleeping quietly with their legs and arms extended. If they feel cold, their hands and feet will get cold and they will give the hazard signal ("cold") by crying hard (thermogenesis). When they do not feel cold, especially when they feel too warm, their facial color turn red and their hands and feet also get warm. However, they would not give the hazard signal ("crying") when they feel "too" hot. Because the "crying" is disadvantage for them. The "crying" heightens their body temperature more. Although infants are generally considered to be "sensitive to cold," it is more appropriate to consider that they are "sensitive to heat." When they feel cold, they give the hazard signal by crying and can generate heat by themselves to maintain their body temperature. However, when they feel hot, peripheral blood vessels are dilated, and the heat is diffused by the mechanisms of conduction, convection, radiation, and transpiration. Nevertheless, the efficacy of thermolysis is influenced by external environmental factors (temperature, humidity, wind, etc.) and the way of nursing by parents or nurses. Briefly, thermogenesis is performed "actively" by infants themselves, while thermolysis is "passive." In these reasons, heat-related troubles, that is, high-temperature environments and excessive clothing (bedclothes, caps, socks, etc.), rather than cold-related ones, may induce "heat stroke" to infants, resulting in the occurrence of dysfunction of respiro-circulatory regulation. This is a one of the causes of SIDS which had been unknown etiology.

SIDS　Prevention

1. No excess bedding, clothing in sleeping in a room. It is unnecessary to put a cap, socks, blanket, etc. for infants. Excess clothing disturbs heat radiation and causes infants high body temperature. 2. Prone sleep position causes high body temperature because infants’ abdomen heat makes infants’ body warmer. The combination of excess clothing and prone sleep position is quite dangerous. 3. It is safer to use highly hygroscopic material for infants’ clothes, sheets, blanket. 4. It is dangerous to lay down infants near a heater or on a hot carpet. 5. Hot bottled milk makes infants warmer from inside the body. Mind the temperature of the milk and give it to the infant in the arms. 6. Check excess clothing when infants keep sleeping quietly for a long time. 7. Learn the difference between fever and heat stroke to prevent from SIDS.

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