Sleeping baby concerns

Sleep problems

By adult standards, all babies sleep badly. They awaken regularly and are frequently reluctant to return to sleep. But what some parents see as a sleep problem is just the naturally short sleep-wake cycles of young babies. It's important for parents to recognize this and to compensate for their own sleep loss whenever their baby is dozing.

If your baby is older than four months and still doesn't distinguish day from night, you can encourage the process by providing more stimulation during the day -- talking to your baby and playing -- and minimizing stimulating activities at night. For daytime naps, some parents put their babies to sleep in a carriage or a portable cradle in a less quiet place; for nighttime sleep, they place the baby in her crib in a quiet room with dimmed lights.

Allergies

Cow's-milk allergy is the cause of some infants' sleep troubles. About one in every six babies has a genetic predisposition to this allergy, whose symptoms range from bloating and irritability to vomiting and profuse diarrhea.

Colic

About one in every five babies experiences colic. You'll probably know whether your baby has colic when he's between two and three weeks old, which is when the pattern becomes predictable. Colic is one of the most common causes of disturbed infant sleep.

Babies who have colic don't go to sleep easily, and they wake frequently. They seem considerably more aware of -- and distracted by -- their external environment than their non-colicky counterparts. Take heart: Colicky babies are almost always vigorous, healthy creatures who gain weight well. Colic usually disappears between three and four months of age, as quickly as it appeared.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the sudden and unexpected death of apparently healthy infants, is the leading cause of death between the ages of one month and one year. In Canada, SIDS claims the life of about four hundred infants a year, approximately one out of every one thousand liveborn babies.

SIDS is not caused by external suffocation, nor by vomiting or choking. It's not contagious, and it can't be predicted. It is sometimes also referred to as crib death or cot death, because the babies die in their sleep. No one knows why a baby who seems healthy can suddenly die without evident cause. Health experts, however, make these recommendations for the care of a normal, healthy infant:

• Breast-feed the child from birth to six months or longer.

• Ensure he is cared for in a smoke-free environment.

• When putting him down to sleep, place him on his back or side until he learns to turn from back to tummy on his own.

• Ensure the infant is dressed and covered in a manner that avoids overheating, even during an illness.

• Avoid using sheepskin, pillows, soft bedding, comforters, and positioning devices in his crib.