Before Clark was born I tried to find some books on fatherhood to prepare myself for the ordeal. There aren't a lot of good or interesting books on fatherhood. Moms get all the good books. The best I read was by Michael Lewis, yes the guy who wrote Moneyball
and Liar's Poker. His Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood was a great read and included plenty of learning from his screw ups, fatherhood advice, and directions.
and Liar's Poker. His Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood was a great read and included plenty of learning from his screw ups, fatherhood advice, and directions.
One thing that really stood out was his suggestion that SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) was merely used to cover for parents who murdered their infants. That can't be, can it?
The National Institute of Health's (NIH) website defines SIDS rather vaguely:
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected, sudden death of a child under age 1 in which an autopsy does not show an explainable cause of death.
Really, that's the best they can do? It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. I'm not really a sci-fi guy, but I've watch hundreds if not thousands of hours of reality crime TV (think: TruTV and Discovery ID). I'm not saying I agree with Lewis, but let play devil's advocate. Let's look at things a little differently. Let's look at things from a potential murderer's perspective?
--------------------
The risk factors (according to NIH):
- Babies who sleep on their stomachs
- Babies who are around cigarette smoke while in the womb or after being born
- Babies who sleep in the same bed as their parents
- Babies who have soft bedding in the crib
- Multiple birth babies (being a twin, triplet, etc.)
- Premature babies
- Babies who have a brother or sister who had SIDS
- Mothers who smoke or use illegal drugs
- Teen mothers
- Short time period between pregnancies
- Late or no prenatal care
- Situations of poverty
Analysis:
#1 and #4) A baby who sleeps on his stomach or on a pillow could easily be pressed face down and suffocated leaving little evidence. Choking a baby on his back probably leaves marks and other evidence.
#3) Babies sleeping in the bed with their parents - a heavy sleeping parent (dad probably) could roll over on his baby by accident and cause suffocation.
#5 and #6) Multiples and premature babies may place even more stress than normal on parents, perhaps pushing some unstable parents over the edge.
#7) If SIDS deaths are not an "accident", then previous siblings that have died from SIDS could suggest parents who are capable of infanticide. Do it once, do it again?
#2 and #8) Mothers who smoke while pregnant or around their infants suggests derelict parenting. Could they also be murderers?
#10) Short periods between pregnancies could suggest a mother who is not concerned with her own health or that of her children. Most doctors suggest a certain period of time between pregnancies for the sake of the mother and future baby's health. Many drug addicted mothers have children in such a manner, adding to the tally until they are taken away. Would a drug addicted mother be prepared for motherhood or want the responsibility of parenthood?
--------------------
There is certainly room in the NIH description to suggest that human interventions may be involved a percentage of SIDS deaths. I'd like to say no parent could ever kill an innocent baby, but we've all seen incidents in the news that demonstrate otherwise. But I'm not the MythBusters
over here and this was all a bit theoretical. However, is it really that hard to imagine that SIDS could be a fraud?
over here and this was all a bit theoretical. However, is it really that hard to imagine that SIDS could be a fraud?
It's annoying, but I'll still keep putting Clark to sleep on his back. As I mention in Thankful For the Noises Babies Make, the idea of SIDS scares the hell out of me. SIDS could be a fraud/sham/malarkey, but the stakes are too high for me to take a stand, putting my baby's life on the line. What if I'm wrong, then I'm a crazy conspiracist with a dead baby? Put your infant to sleep on his back, just in case, OK!
-Clark's Dad
19 comments:
It is very rarely that I comment on blogs and people's e-musings, but this really is a shameful post and one I sincerely hope won't reach the loved ones of babies lost to SIDS. I hope you have the decency to reflect on the appalling things you have written here. And I pray to god you'll never know the devastation of losing a child, never mind have that loss compounded by an ill-informed, self-important fool spouting theories about how and why it may have happened. I pity you, not for your lack of knowledge but for the clear void of compassion you have displayed here.
I understand this is an emotional issue for many people. My goals was not to offend or inflame anyone.
I did not post an e-musing or write anything for entertainment purposes. What I did was ask a serious question and laid out my analysis of the scientific or lack thereof data about the subject and from those positioned to be very knowledgeable about this area of medicine/science (NIH). The best they can come up with in their OFFICIAL definition is "The unexpected, sudden death of a child under age 1 in which an autopsy does not show an explainable cause of death."
There are unfortunately parents who have had children pass away. Some of those were diagnosed as SIDS. I'm sure there are myriad different experiences among them. With the number of deaths labeled SIDS each year, how is it acceptable for science and medicine to leave SIDS with no better than a boogie man type unexplained status. Am I a bad human being for asking for better than that.
Does anyone ask if stroke or heart attack are a fraud? No. Questions lead to answers, which leads to more question, which ultimately leads to knowledge and further understanding in general.
My son died from SIDS. He had a complete autopsy. Accidental suffocation, hypoxia, and asphyxiation were all ruled out. I am not a "poor mom." Between my husband and myself we have 5 degrees. We are highly educated. Since losing our son I have met hundreds of SIDS parents. Most of them also followed the "precautions" that have been set forth by every heath association out there and yet we still lost our babies.
Let ME take a crack at your "analysis."
Analysis:
#1 and #4) A baby who sleeps on his stomach or on a pillow could easily be pressed face down and suffocated leaving little evidence. Choking a baby on his back probably leaves marks and other evidence.
--THIS is accidental suffocation or asphyxiation. BOTH can be ruled out in an autopsy report. If signs of either of these are preset then the deaths are NOT labeled "SIDS."
#3) Babies sleeping in the bed with their parents - a heavy sleeping parent (dad probably) could roll over on his baby by accident and cause suffocation.
-- Again, suffocation is NOT SIDS. They are two completely different things.
#5 and #6) Multiples and premature babies may place even more stress than normal on parents, perhaps pushing some unstable parents over the edge.
-- Now you're talking about murder. I had a 3 year old son who was a handful at the time, as well as an infant. I also had PTSD. And my son was a preemie. Still, I did not murder my child for being "unstable." But, again, murder can be ruled out in an autopsy. SIDS is given as a COD by exclusion. That means it is a COD when everything else has been ruled out.
#7) If SIDS deaths are not an "accident", then previous siblings that have died from SIDS could suggest parents who are capable of infanticide. Do it once, do it again?
--Or, it could be a cause of genetics.
#2 and #8) Mothers who smoke while pregnant or around their infants suggests derelict parenting. Could they also be murderers?
--Hmmm...I never understood the smoking thing in relations to SIDS. Considering your hypothesis above then why would countries in which smoking is more prevalent, such as England, do they have a lower SIDS rate?
#9, #11, #12) Very young mothers, poor mothers, and those that have not sought prenatal care may suggest parents who are unprepared financially, mentally or physically for parenthood. Much like Multiples and premies, could the additional stress from the lack of preparedness put these parents over the edge.
-- So now you're back to the murder thing again. Awesome.
#10) Short periods between pregnancies could suggest a mother who is not concerned with her own health or that of her children. Most doctors suggest a certain period of time between pregnancies for the sake of the mother and future baby's health. Many drug addicted mothers have children in such a manner, adding to the tally until they are taken away. Would a drug addicted mother be prepared for motherhood or want the responsibility of parenthood?
-- So are you implying that having babies back-to-back must indicate a mother that is on drugs? Well, fuck you. My babies were born a year apart. They HAD to be if I wanted another one. But I don't have to justify that for you. Most doctors don't believe the statistic that I know you are referring to. My OBGYN alone gave me fertility medicine to help me get pregnant after the loss of my son, even though I would have less than 6 months between pregnancies.
In short, your hypothesis are hurtful and just a little bit stupid. Just because you have an opinion doesn't mean the whole world has to hear it. If, God forbid, any of your children or friends have babies die from SIDS, or if you have another one that does, I hope to God that nobody as narrow-minded, underinformed, and callous says any of the things that you or them that you just put out there and said to the thousands of SIDS parents that did nothing wrong.
Furthermore, if you had done any further research you would have found that the reason they suggest that you don't put the babies on their stomachs, co-sleep, or put anything in the crib with them (in relations to SIDS) is due to the CO2 theory. The idea is that babies who are at risk for SIDS lack the mechanism to turn away whenever they are rebreathing their CO2. THAT is the reasoning behind 1, 3, & 4. (A hypothesis is that smoking can actually affect their breathing which then inhibits that mechanism even further.)
Again, that is a hypothsis. The most prevailing theory at the moment is low serotonin in the brain, something you didn't mention at all in your "analysis." This theory is gaining even more credbility. NONE of those risk factors would apply if low serotonin is present. In fact, co-sleeping actually naturally raises the serotinin level in infants so that might be better in some cases.
My beautiful nine and a half month son stopped breathing at daycare five months ago and died of SIDS. My life feels over and every minute since then has been agony. There were no risk factors in my sons case. He always slept on his back. You are just stupid or didn't bother to inform yourself before you wrote this post. Just because doctors haven't figured out exactly what causes SIDS does not mean that there is something biological that happens. Certainly you can't be stupid enough to think that doctors have all of the answers.
Sorry- that something biological did NOT happen. The theory that Rebecca mentions is in relation to a brain stem abnormality that your baby either has or doesn't have and you won't know until your baby either dies or doesn't. So, sleep easy. I know I won't with any of my future children.
I find your interpretations to be disturbing at best. Definitely uneducated. On October 31, 2010 I became the grandparent of a SIDS victim. We struggle each day to come to grips with this tragedy. My grandson was 10-1/2 months old. Trick or treating one night, and gone the next morning. We have no answers. This is the case with ALL victims of SIDS. There is only one symptom...death. SIDS does not discriminate, it takes babies from all walks of life. They are the children of Drs., lawyers, actors, actresses, rich and poor. In some cases, the baby is wide awake when it strikes. Many others are alone, in an empty crib, on their backs. Hell, some of them wearing a Halo Sleep Sack when it happens. My family and I are fighting to get through this day today which would have been his 2nd birthday. You cannot imagine how painful this is unless you have been through it. The only good thing that can come out of writings such as yours is that it gives us an opportunity to help you understand what it is you are talking about. SIDS kills thousands of babies in the US every year and I am disgusted at the lack of awareness and knowledge that exists with the general public. We are fighting every day to give these babies a voice and we have garbage like this floating around the internet. Keep it coming, we will keep fighting!
Without all the emotion, here is what the post says in simplest form.
1. I read Michael Lewis' book.
a. That book suggests SIDS is merely a cover-up for murder, could this be true?
2. What does the medical literature state?
b. the medical literature states SIDS is what you call it when you can't find a reason for an infant's death (is that an acceptable answer?)
c. that sounds rather vague and useless coming from the National Institute of Health.
3. So if you follow Lewis' premise on SIDS, how do the NIH risk factors for SIDS demonstrate that they may be looking to eliminate human error or cause (accidental death or possible homicide) as opposed to natural causes.
4. Summary of #3 above.
5. Are there parents capable of committing murder. Obvious there are some out there? We've all watched the news, yes.
6. I'm no expert in testing medical theories. This post was merely a simple analysis of Lewis' theory and NIH's definition and risk factors for SIDS.
7. Could SIDS be a fraud, in theory it's possible.
8. However, I'm going to take the proper precautions, because the benefits outweigh the risks.
a. you should too.
Most of the square footage was taken up by #3, but #2 and #8 were the most important parts of the post. They also seem to be the parts of the article that everyone skips through.
So, why so much anger is directed towards me, with the scientific/medical community given a free pass to say they just don't know why children are dying and just label it SIDS. To those who state I am ill informed, we all are. The medical community and experts lack sufficient information to properly diagnose or prevent the Syndrome. "Maybe it's this, it could be that," is not seen as acceptable for any other disease that kills. This was again kind of the real crux and point of this post. But, hey don't worry about any of that, be mad at me. I'm the problem.
Yes, actually, people like you ARE the problem. You implied that parents that have lost their children to SIDS are frauds at best and murders at worst. I invite you to join just one of my SIDS support groups. Many of the parents there have been involved in SIDS research for years. Some of the leading SIDS researchers in the field are also members. I invite you to join and talk about your analysis there.
You have read one book about this. Many of us have read literally hundreds of reports, books, journals, and scientific studies about SIDS. We attend national and international conferences on the subject matter. We advocate so that others don't lose their children in the same manner that we did.
No, it is NOT acceptable that we don't know the reason behind our child's death. However, it is also NOT acceptable for a person that has had no direct dealing with the death of a child or grandchild from SIDS to publicly speculate as to whether or not we actually committed fraud or murder of our children.
When my son went through his autopsy he was checked for cerebral hemhorraging, blood oxygen levels, and other signs of suffocation or asphyxiation. There were none. Come find us on Daily Streng's website. We have several hundred members. Get to know OUR stories. Find out about the CPR we performed, the burial arrangements we had to make, and the lifeless bodies we held while we could do NOTHING to stop the horror that we were going through. Maxie's Mom that left the comment? She had to make the horrible decision to pull her infant son off of life support. Go check out her blog. Look at the pictures of her son. Heck, look at my blog and read MY story.
You are talking about statistics and hypothetical parents and a book that has received lukewarm reception in the medical community. I ask you to actually look at us as human beings with individual stories and children that really lived.
Immunizations, or toxic mold. Do the research!
thanks, I'm going to have to share this with my husband.
One day you may know the grief of such a loss. And the pain such ignorance as you have shown creates. Just apologize already.
" This was again kind of the real crux and point of this post. " I have to agree with you. It is good for there to be any discussion at all about SIDS. I'm shocked that science can't find an explanation.
I think people should research more and cite reliable sources before making such claims. It will be irresponsible to publish something that is based purely on guesses specially on a very sensitive subject.
wites & kapetan
This is only going as anonymous because I couldn't get my name in the heading.
Well, for everyone that attacking Clarks Dad..
I am also a mother of a SIDS baby, almost 18 years ago.. for everyone of you that have lost a baby.. I feel for you.. I am you.. it took me 18 years to question the man that I lived with at the time.. all I can say is it is worth looking at the autopsy report. Look for the words "perioral pallor" and/or "atelectasis"
Now, I must say that I have had a lot happen over the last 18years (almost 18) a lot of torture at the hands of the man that is now....... BEING INVESTIGATED FOR MURDER!
Yes, you read that right!!!!!!
My sons passing was NOT SIDS... it was intentional smothering!!!!!!!!
Remember the name Nikki Rosier and Albert W. Ferguson 2nd. It will be all over the news very soon.
Please don't just accept the findings of SIDS, if I would of he would of gotten away with killing my 3month & 22 day old baby boy.. His name is Alex Rosier
I am not saying anything about SIDS, I know there are cases of SIDS, I know there are people that are hurt so deeply because there was nothing they could do... I lived with all of that for almost 18 years. It is a heartbreaking, life destroying diagnosis. Im just saying that Clarks Dad.. is somewhat right... even the corners look past obvious signs of murder. Alex's did
My 1st time to this site. Reading some of your opinions/convo, I understand both points of view. Its been 10 years since I lost my daughter at 3months old. I'm Happy to say I have a beautiful 8 year old daughter now &one on the way:)...I could see how it may seem suspicious to some people--> "clarks dad: What does the medical literature state?)
b. the medical literature states SIDS is what you call it when you can't find a reason for an infant's death (is that an acceptable answer?)
c. that sounds rather vague and useless coming from the National Institute of Health.")
I mean, I was waiting for an straight forward logical respose from the autopsy for days. When they said : its been ruled a SIDs death. I had no idea what that was. & thier explanation was "Sudden infant death syndrome". All I could think was "What a BULLSHIT" label them assholes came up with to use: whenever they cant find out what was really medically worng. I wanted to know why? Why a baby could just stop breathing in her/his sleep, for no obvious reason. So< In realtiy I think that is what troubles "Everyone: the most. The fact of "Not knowing" 100% why something so traggic would happen out of no where. Hopefully the researchers step up thier game & find out medically what causes this to happen to infants. Right now all they have to say is put ur baby on his back, dont use soft blankets, blah blah. but I know personally other parents who, myself included" who foloowed all those precousious steps and they didnt help..Maybe it has something to do with surfactant in the babies lungs?
Either way Iam very sorry for anyones lose of thier baby. Its a pain that nobody can describe & it effects you for the rest of your entire life. My daughter is turning 9 soon, And I still check her breathing every night more then once... I understand everyone has an opinion but some should be careful what they say, esspecially if they are being accusive to the parents who lost thier baby..Its absolutly crushing to have someone actually think u would EVER do ANYTHING to harm ur baby...I do have to say there has been plenty of crazy women & men on tv or net that have done terrible things to babies, which makes it look bad on us good loving mothers & fathers who would sacrifice anything for thier offspring.Which I must say is the reason why I didnt try to elbow the detectives with thier insanity questions:)
To the Mothers: I know the confusion, pain, anger, and lose you feel. & I wish you all find stregnth & happiness in life. & one day I pray They find out exactly what S.I.D.S is. sending lots of love to all the babies in heaven & to thier parents & Family.
Jesus, how did so many people find your post? Your questions, and this theory, has been whispered about for years. The vitriol you incurred for merely theorizing on the subject shows why no intelligent examination of the subject is possible. Sad- intellectual discourse has been known in some cases to further knowledge.
I also sort of think SIDS is a scam or fraud, or (worse) a cover-up for murder. Just because one parent is devastated, that doesn't mean the other parent didn't kill the kid.
Vaccines and infections can lead to hypercytokinemia which is a potentially fatal immune reaction, especially in young infants. SIDS risk goes up after vaccination. Do research! It is possible some parents kill their kids and blame it on SIDS, but this is definatly not the majority. Most of the risk factors listed contribute an increased risk to immune sensitivity.
Post a Comment
Leave a comment