Beware of breastfeeding after suffocation of babies with "breast milk" July 2, 21:24
A baby who sleeps comfortably next to his mother.
A small life was lost because of the bed-sharing.
A fact-finding survey conducted by Shiga Prefecture revealed that babies are suffocating and dying one after another while lying down and breastfeeding.
Life lost in just a few minutes.
If I knew the risks, I might have been able to save them.
(Otsu Broadcasting Station reporter Matsumoto string)
"I killed" a mother who keeps blaming herself
"A baby who has stopped breathing is coming."
Last year, a baby was brought in to Eisuke Ito (45), the director of the pediatrics department of an emergency hospital in Shiga prefecture.
The heart is already completely stopped.
I took resuscitative measures, but there was no response.
The baby has died.
The mother I was with said, "I fell asleep while breastfeeding, and when I noticed I had a baby under my body."
Mr. Ito says that he still can't forget what his mother was doing at that time.
Dr. Eisuke Ito
"My mother was in tears and was very upset. I kept blaming myself for hitting my head on the floor and saying,'I killed you.' I didn't know if I could call it. "
The mother becomes "heavy" and lives in just a few minutes ...
How can a tragic accident happen?
Mr. Ito points out that the cause is the so-called "breastfeeding" in which the mother lays down and breastfeeds.
The mother lays sideways with her body facing the baby and breastfeeds with the baby's head in her chest.
At this time, the mother's body is slightly tilted toward the baby.
If you fall asleep like this, your body will rest on your baby.
At that time, if the baby is still breastfeeding or the face is facing the mother, the nose and mouth will be blocked by the mother's body and you will not be able to breathe.
Even if the baby is in pain and tries to take his face off, he cannot move if the weight of the adult is heavy.
It is said that there is a risk of dying in just a few minutes.
Mr. Ito has come into contact with such cases many times.
Revealed risk of "milking"
Cases of suffocation of sleeping babies have been reported.
According to an analysis conducted by the Consumer Affairs Agency in 2016, there have been 160 accidents nationwide in the past five years in which a 0-year-old child suffocated and died while sleeping.
It was the highest at 32% of all deaths due to accidents.
"The face is buried in a mattress, etc."
"Bedding such as a comforter covers the face and wraps around the neck."
Five cases were reported in which "they were pressed by a part of the family's body" and the cause was thought to be cosleeping.
The Consumer Affairs Agency's analysis is a compilation of the information contained in the "Vital Statistics Survey" questionnaire, and it is not possible to know in more detail how he died while lying down.
On the other hand, in Shiga Prefecture, an initiative called "Child Death Review" has started last year to verify all deaths of children and prevent recurrence.
Mr. Ito, the director of the pediatrics department of the emergency hospital, was also selected as a member and shared information on the deceased children with related organizations such as the emergency hospital, police, and public health centers.
We conducted a thorough investigation, including interviewing the doctor who wrote the death certificate.
Then, the number of babies who died in bed-sharing has risen to five in the past three years in Shiga prefecture alone.
According to a survey by the Consumer Affairs Agency, there were 5 cases nationwide in 5 years.
A simple calculation shows that there is one case per year nationwide.
However, the survey in Shiga Prefecture alone far exceeded that pace.
In addition, it was revealed that at least three of the five babies who died in Shiga Prefecture were suffocated due to co-sleeping and “co-sleeping” during breastfeeding.
Mr. Ito suspects that more babies are dying from "breast milk" nationwide.
Dr. Eisuke Ito
"If five people have died in three years in Shiga alone, I think there is a possibility that several times or dozens of times as many children have died nationwide. The risk of choking from “co-sleeping” was widely known a few years ago, and no child might have died from it. ”
Difficulty in accepting the risk of “milk”
Mr. Ito wanted to raise awareness of the risk of cosleeping when breastfeeding.
We also asked for help from a midwife at the same hospital.
However, it is not straightforward.
Mothers say that "milking" has merits.
Benefits of "milk supplement" that the midwife heard from her mother
▽ It is easy because the baby sleeps well when breast milk is added.
▽ It is necessary to breastfeed every few hours, which causes sleep deprivation, but if you use "breastfeeding", you can sleep.
▽ It becomes a parent-child skinship, and I feel attached to it.
From the field, there was an opinion that it is difficult for mothers who are accustomed to “feeding breasts” to take risks properly while they are busy raising children.
Midwife Rumi Kagawa
"Mothers who have given birth for the first time will be able to recognize that there is a risk of breastfeeding while lying down if they explain it properly at the hospital, but in reality it is easier to breastfeed, so after the second child Then, based on that experience, I started to breastfeed, and sometimes I could not switch to the recognition that there was a risk. "
When you're not tired
However, it is not possible for a baby to die.
Mr. Ito has taken a step further than ever before.
At the hospital where Mr. Ito works, the pamphlet for childcare has recommended that when you are tired, you should lie down with your child and give "milking".
But removed this expression.
Right now, I only give "milking" when I'm not tired, and I teach people not to sleep.
Risk of “milking” Sharing with the whole family
In addition, Mr. Ito has begun to call attention to childcare classes for mothers.
The point is to share the risk with the whole family.
In order to prevent accidents of Lying
▽ to accommodate a baby bed, lie down alone a baby
if you are a child care in the ▽ milk, nighttime breast-feeding ask on behalf of the partners
in the case to lie with children
▽ Do not breastfeed when you are tired ▽ Inform your
family about the risk, keep an eye on them regularly and talk to them when their mother falls asleep
▽ After taking a drowsy medicine, lie down together Since
suffocation is also occurring due to bedding
that does not become necessary
▽ Soft comforters and mats may be squeezed and suffocate, so use hard ones
▽ Adult comforters are heavy, so use light comforters for children
The actual measures are not easy, but Mr. Ito points out that it is important not to let the mother do one-operated childcare.
The partner side also asks for the protection of the baby by raising children together according to the circumstances of the family, such as feeding at night instead.
Dr. Eisuke Ito
"I think mothers raising children are much more exhausted than I imagined. I asked my family to know the risks in advance, and if I fell asleep, I would ask them to speak to me. The support of those around you is also important. I think it's sad that you fall asleep and your child dies even though you treat them with affection. To protect your child's life, first of all, I want you to know the risk of sleeping together. "
In order not to repeat sadness
Mr. Ito's words, "It's too sad for my child to die even though I treat him with affection," are the most memorable for this interview.
The regret of a mother who lost her beloved child due to cosleeping while breastfeeding becomes painful just to imagine.
How many children in the whole country are suffocating while sleeping with their parents?
First of all, the whole picture should be clarified as soon as possible, and the people involved in childcare, such as the obstetrics and gynecology department and the health center, should work together to convey the magnitude of the risk.
I feel it is necessary to protect my child and my mother.
Otsu Broadcasting Station Reporter Gen
Matsumoto
Joined in 2018.
We are particular about interviews to protect children such as incidents, accidents, and bullying problems.