Fans May Reduce Risk of SIDS

I saw this on the evening news last night then again today on the Today Show...

 

Fans (not just ceiling fans) may help reduce the risk of SIDS. It is important to keep the air/oxygen flowing in the room and not at a stand still.

 

I was going to post this in the mommyto-be thread, but I thought it might be useful for all BDWers!

 

Only downside is if you have the AngelCare Monitor, it may not work right because of the fan movement....

I don't like fans going during sleeping because it can bring on ear infections. I do know this from personal experience. But we use the angel monitor and he has a fan going and it doesn't mess with it. Just for people to know who want to use that monitor and fans.

Thanks, Martha. I read something about this on Baby Center today and already emailed Mike to tell him we should get a ceiling fan instead of just a light installed in the nursery.

All the reviews that I have read (lots!) on the AngelCare Monitor all state that if they had problems with the monitor it was because of a ceiling fan. Sometimes they would take the baby out of the crib and accidentally leave the monitor on, but it wouldn't alert them because of the motion of the celing fan. Do you guys test his periodically? We plan on getting the monitor, but keep the ceiling fan off and bring in a stand up fan...


Good idea! I am so paranoid about everything...including SIDS.

Great to know!! Thanks for posting!! I have a fan going at night in our room all the time.. I'm always hot. London sleeps in her bassinet in our room, so that makes me feel even better.

As for the ear infection thing.. what if the fan is on low on the opposite side of the room??

Also, when did you start putting your baby in their own crib at night?? It makes me nervous.. so I haven't done it yet. London is almost 8 weeks old.

i'm not a mom or a nanny.. infact i don't even know any babies right now (isn't that so sad?) buuuuut this fan versus sids statement seems like apples to oranges to me. i would definately want anything available that would possible help my baby live, even if that meant the possibililty of an ear infection.. (although i have heard that babies are absolutely miserable when they get one)

My son isn't here yet, but ideally I wanted to keep him in our room (in a bassinett) for the first 3 months. However, I really have no idea if this will happen. I think you should do whatever feels right!

I agree...But, ya, babies are so miserable when they have ear infections. Definitely apples to oranges though!

My issue is that we keep our bedroom super cool at night (65 degrees) and we have a ceiling fan and a stand up fan. I think I mostly use the stand up fan for the noise, but we are buying another white noise machine so that will help there. Neither one of us can sleep if we are too warm and Jay exudes body heat, so I always wake up hot next to him. I read that babies should sleep in rooms that are 68-70 degrees.

I wonder if we will have to adjust our thermostat to kep it safe for Noah?


Oh wait, it just dawned on me that he will be here in November, so it might be a little cooler outside and we wont have to keep the thermostat so cold.

I don't know if the parents tested it out. I just know since I've been here and the fan and the humidifier going theres never been any problem. Now we have the fan off b/c off it being winter and all. But I will ask them tonight if they had any problems when he was younger.

I don't know about that. I just know from my Dh. The fan dries out the ear canal and eustation tube which causes the ear infection. I had tons when I was a kid and I was never allowed to turn my fan off. And then from previous charges I've watched.

Ear infections do suck. I'm not saying don't use a fan if you think that will work. Before I say anymore this is just MY opinion. Noone is wrong. I'm not judging. Everytime I reply to a thread like this (parenting) I get into trouble. So I'm just saying what you think is right. Personally, I don't listen to the news on health issues like this. One week they say chocolate helps you lose weight and the next it doesn't (serioulsy my news station did this).

For me I don't believe a fan is going to save a baby's life. I have two friends who lost their children to sids. The first was my moms good friend. Both parents were deaf and they had this monitor/alarm that the bed would vibrate if the child I think it was heartrate (don't swear by this) stopped. Anyways the second was a good friend who lost her baby just this recently. Now her brand new infant has sleep apnea . Anyways my DH (chiropractor, man I say that alot) they believe that SIDS is caused by birth trauma. When the baby is born the head tugging, forceps and things move the spine to pinch a nerve or such and causes SIDS. He can explain it better. I did post a link in another thread on a great study done about it. Mattresses that have flame retardent chemicals and stuff that the baby is breathing. Personally that study hit home. It's called CRIB death for a reason. There has never been a report of a child dying from sids while cosleeping. However I don't think I could cosleep forever and alot of people are against it. I however am going to have my child sleep in a Happy Hangup for the first few months or on me. (Attachment Parenting, Babywearing). I don't trust cribs from personal experience and from studies I've read. For infants. The older my child gets then they can sleep in a crib.

With that said I think using a fan is fine. I would put a humidifier in the room also so that you're not drying the ear out as much. A humidfier can't hurt. That's what the baby I watch right now does. Fan and humidifier. It also helps with dry skin. Noone knows the causes of SIDS. All of it is speculation. Just do what you feel is right for your child. Nothing can hurt really. It's a sad sad thing when it happens. Both funerals were the saddest I've ever been to.

Now I have to get back to feeding Collin his fishsticks. He's drooling! Haha. Oh btw my bosses just read that fish helps prevent excema. So now he has fish a few times a week. Just random bit of something for you.

Martha we crossposted HAH! I agree it was apples to oranges. I just wanted to let you know about it. I'm not saying DON"T do a fan b/c of EI. Totally use one if it makes you feel better! I just thought it was some information would be useful. I think if you use a humidifier too it will balance it out. I agree about bassinet for 3 months. I'll probably do it for longer. But isn't it 4 or 6 months that SIDS rate goes down? I can't remember. Oh well FISH STICKS!

I realize this thread is regarding babies and mothers (i am not the latter yet). But I feel really green right now... what is SIDS?