Jogging Strollers – SIDS
There has been concern of a relationship between some of the new jogging strollers and sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. A close look at this issue shows the concern to be basically unfounded.
The jogging stroller is becoming popular. It is a sort of throwback to the older style vintage strollers, at least in the fact that it is larger than the more common portable strollers that have become so common today. It is also much better built with usually a larger front wheel designed to handle a bit rougher terrain. The purpose of the jogging stroller is to be able to take the baby with you when you are jogging. Although you are not required to jog when using it, the construction standards make it a good choice for a stroller. Yet, there is some concern about jogging strollers and sides.
The relationship of old fashion baby carriages, an item that has largely been replaced by the light weight and portable stroller, and sudden infant death syndrome has long been a fear of parents. Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant usually between the age of 1 month and 1 year old. It is often called crib death in North America.
SIDS is not very well understood. The very fact that it is “unexplained” would seem to indicate that most stories about such things as strollers or certain types of cribs would be unfounded. There have been a number of studies done on it and about the best conjectures indicate some type of brain abnormality as the most likely cause. There are a lot of suggestions, however, that have been advanced to reduce the risk.
Some people have suggested the idea that having a baby sleep on its back is a good preventative measure. There has been some thought that such things as poor air circulation has been a cause. This has led to suggestions that air circulation in a crib should not be blocked by such things as bumper pads or excessive bedding. This is where the idea that such items as jogging strollers might present a risk. Normally, babies are wrapped up and covered in them when jogging to protect them from the cold or even the wind.
It is not unlikely that in the heyday of baby carriages, a careless parent covered up a baby so well that it led to the baby not being able to breathe properly. It might have been possible that sudden death syndrome might have occurred from time to time while the baby was sleeping in the carriage or stroller rather than at night in its crib. It would be from some isolated events like this that the “myth” of the danger of strollers would emerge. The studies that have been done on SIDS have never pointed to strollers, jogging or otherwise, as possible causes of SIDS, nor have the preventive measures included avoiding them