Contrary to prevalent belief, SIDS can be prevented.

Mattress-wrapping has prevented SIDS successfully since 1996 [1]. In New Zealand there have been no SIDS deaths on a BabeSafe® properly wrapped mattress since its inception in 1996 [1].

Evidence is how to prove to the scientific and medical community, that the Richardson Hypothesis has validity. The Richardson Hypothesis [2–4] is the basis for the mattress-wrapping.

With the success of mattress-wrapping, the theory therefore must hold certain provable keys to the truth. We are reading the literature to see if the Richardson Hypothesis can provide any insight not particularly evident to the traditional researcher.

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A few Items for those seeking SIDS prevention for their baby:

We are giving referrals to BabeSafe® mattress cover distributors by referring you to the BabeSafe manufacturer's How to Order page. Their website has the list of the active BabeSafe distributors. BabeSafe® mattress covers are available to the USA, shipped from the USA.

We receive no financial compensation for making referrals, just the satisfaction we are protecting babies from SIDS.

Our Mattress-Wrapping Details page shares about the mattress-wrapping method to prevent SIDS.

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What we found true about SIDS:

The Factors lists below are important facts to know about SIDS. Factors to be avoided and others to be done to improve your baby’s chances against SIDS. Up to now there is not a well-accepted, scientifically proven cause of how SIDS is happening. But adapting your situation to these factors can greatly improve your baby’s chances.

This sounds like double talk doesn’t it. First SIDS can be prevented and then there is not a scientifically proven method to prevent SIDS. In practice, SIDS has been prevented with the mattress-wrapping method. There was only initial research on the Hypothesis done in the 1990’s. But there have never been any generally accepted peer-review studies done, showing the cause of SIDS.

We are Researching the Cause of SIDS.

It is our goal to have a cause-of-SIDS manuscript accepted through the peer-review process, with multiple rationale and a postulate for an evidence-based study to support the cause. In the past there was only one round of academic point/counterpoint between mattress-wrapping researchers [2,3] and the medical community researchers [5]. This manuscript presents a different aspect to consider, yet still in light of the Richardson Hypothesis.

In the meantime, we recommend parents and grandparents take into consideration the following SIDS research-based risk factors AND practice mattress-wrapping, both shown to work against SIDS. Print them out from the sidebar printer-icon and check off those risk factors that apply to you. (Odds Ratio = OR)

Factors increasing SIDS Risk:

( _ ) The period of highest risk of SIDS is 2 to 4 months of age, with 90% of SIDS cases occurring before 6 months of age [6]

( _ ) Sleeping a baby on a sofa, couch or recliner is extremely hazardous [7] and has the greatest SIDS risk (OR to 66.9) [6]. One sixth of SIDS deaths occur in these situations [8]

( _ ) The top two behavioral predictors (SIDS/control) are #1 “difficulty in awakening the baby” (OR 18.00) and #2 “few movements during sleep” (OR 16.00) [9]

( _ ) Face-down, prone sleeping of the baby [10–12] is greater risk than supine sleeping

( _ ) Babies of African American [13,14] and Native-American [15] families are affected more than other races in the USA

( _ ) Affects male babies more frequently than female [16,17]

( _ ) Antenatal and postnatal smoking [18,19] are a risk, also during time frames when bedsharing is done [11,20–22]

( _ ) Bedsharing with an exhausted or drug/alcohol impaired adult, [22] with siblings/other adult, [7,11] or with parent(s) [7,8,23,24] are all SIDS risks

( _ ) Sleeping a baby in another room is greater SIDS risk than “room sharing” with the parent [11,12,23,25]

( _ ) Sleeping on a soft sleep surface is a greater risk than on a firm mattress [7,11]

( _ ) Soft bedding has been shown a SIDS risk as CO2 is trapped during rebreathing [15,26–28]

( _ ) Pillows, cushions and blankets [25,29] are a SIDS risk

( _ ) Overheating is a risk of SIDS [16,23,30] SIDS risk increases with increased domicile altitude [31]

Factors reducing SIDS Risk:

( _ ) Immunizations are protective against SIDS [15,22], over the long run [32]

( _ ) Placing a pacifier (dummy) in a baby’s mouth when putting them to sleep reduces SIDS risk [12,30]

( _ ) Breastfeeding is protective [15,22,23]

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What then is the Toxic Gas Theory of SIDS / Richardson Hypothesis?

It means that SIDS can likely occur if all three of these exist together:

1. The elements phosphorous (P), arsenic (As), and/or antimony (Sb) are present in the baby’s sleeping environment;

2. The common household fungus is present; and

3. Then there is an increase in temperature, from body heat or from other heat sources.

These three simultaneous conditions cause the fungus to grow, metabolizing compounds containing the elements, to create nerve gases, that stop the baby's respiratory and cardiac function, to make SIDS occur.

Especially important for prevention is keeping the chemical elements P, As, and Sb – in mattresses and bedding – away from your baby and minimizing sources of body heat.

Sleep your baby in a wrapped: bassinet, co-sleeper, Pack ‘N Play (or other playpen) or crib. Never sleep your baby on a sofa, couch or recliner (up to 66.9x the risk) [6].

The standard SIDS precautions in the list above are still valid and apply to reducing SIDS. You must sleep your baby Alone, on their Back, and in a Crib, in a sleeping situation designed specifically for babies. But it also should be wrapped with a BabeSafe® mattress cover. Use a firm mattress and no soft bedding.

The Richardson Hypothesis can be laid over the traditional research findings on SIDS, that have been discovered over the years, to realize that the Triple-Risk Model of SIDS [33] has validity even with toxic gases as part of the cause of SIDS.

The key to mattress-wrapping is to use a BabeSafe® mattress cover over your baby’s mattress and only 100% pure cotton bedding, with no padding or quilting.

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