I wonder if this relates at all to one of my theories (totally my own
theory, no research basis to it) that one of the causes of SIDS may be
stress. (I developed this theory after noticing that stressed babies
sometimes retreat from the stress by going into a very deep sleep - for
example, babies that have been left to "cry themselves to sleep" for long
periods will go into a deep sleep and are very, very hard to wake up in that
state. I've also noticed how injured babies - a baby who fell into a
campfire, for example and was burned - will sleep the same way.  I saw some
interesting statistics showing that babies who are put in daycare have a
higher than expected risk of dying of SIDS during their first weeks in
daycare. Also, babies who have been physically abused at some point seem to
have a higher risk of SIDS.)

So if a pacifier is comforting to a baby - and sucking is a comfort - then
perhaps these babies are less stressed by sleeping alone when they at least
have a pacifier to suck on. And that would reduce SIDS.

But sleeping next to Mom and breastfeeding all night long has got to be the
least stressful situation of all.

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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