Watch above: SIDS awareness month: woman shares story of grieving after loss of baby
SASKATOON – It’s a parent’s worst nightmare; your baby falls asleep and never wakes up.
Every week, two to three Canadian families will experience the unpredictable loss of their baby or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
It’s a loss Shannon Durand’s family experienced nearly 10 years ago but remember it as though it was yesterday.
On March 1, 2005, the family was overjoyed to announce the arrival of their first baby girl to the family.
Mathaya Leanna weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces, was healthy and perfect.
“She was our first child that actually, our only child that actually had hair,” said Shannon laughing, “she was beautiful, she was perfect she never wanted to be put down.”
Nearly 12 days later, the unthinkable happened.
“We went to bed that night and at about..” said Shannon pausing. “ I know exactly what time 4:22, I woke up because she just hadn’t woken up to feed and so I tried to wake her up and I got no response.”
Shannon said it was in that moment she realized her daughter wasn’t breathing.
“He went and called 911 and I performed CPR on her.”
Emergency crews arrived but little Mathaya Leanna was gone.
“We feel so fortunate she was in our life even if it was for a little bit of time.”
It’s a loss no one wants to ever experience. SIDS, the unexplained death usually during sleep of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old.
“It’s tough when you don’t have an answer, there’s nobody to blame, there’s nobody to be mad at.”
Support of family and friends is an important part of helping families through their unbearable losses.
“It’s okay to be sad, it’s okay grieve” explained Shannon, “if you need to cry, cry.”
Experts say while there is no guarantees to prevent SIDS there are steps you can take to increase a baby’s safety.
“For the first six months of life its best if the baby is in the room with the parents but in their own sleep environment meaning in their own crib so no fluffy blankets or toys or bumper pads in the crib,” said Noreen Agrey, executive director of the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute.
Always place the infant on its back to sleep.
Following a campaign on SIDS prevention in the late ‘90’s, the rate of SIDS declined by 50 per cent in five years after parents switched the sleep position of their babies from a stomach position to their backs.
Experts also warn parents to ensure the baby doesn’t overheat and to keep your home smoke-free.
“I can’t imagine the pain, I think it would be one of the worst things to experience as a family so having said that again the only way to hopefully feel somewhat assured is that you’ve done everything that you can to care for the baby in the appropriate manner,” added Agrey.
October marks National SIDS Awareness Month and although Agrey says SIDS rates have declined in the country and the province, the importance of safe practices still needs to be driven home.
Since most parents often get information from those closest to them on how to care for a baby, information that may be given with the best intentions may not always be the most current in term of best practices.
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