Hey there Colin, it's Daddy again. I have been rereading some of my own posts, other's posts, articles (even the stupid ones), and comments that people leave on sites and blogs, and I have come to a conclusion...most people in this world really need to better educate themselves before typing some of the things they do. In terms of "understanding" SIDS, people REALLY need to better educate themselves. Yes, this lady (ref) is still an idiot, but many of the comments in response to her idiocy are almost as bad. Everyone seems to have a theory of what causes SIDS, and most of the theories are nothing more than uneducated speculation. I do not necessarily blame the individual, rather the collective community for buying into irrational hypotheses about toxic mattresses or ones that are too hard or too soft, or to co-sleep or not co-sleep and the best way(s) to practice co-sleeping, or various other already medically debunked reasons. What we all need to do is read real medically sound research papers and write to the organizations that publish this information to ask for more detailed reports in order to get a better understanding of SIDS.
Finding this information is no longer that difficult if you have time and an internet connection. For starters, JAMA, NIH, Children's Hospital Boston, or Harvard Medical School are good places for sound medical science. Hopefully, when armed with credible information, those of us who have have a child die from SIDS can better educate each other and the general public that our babies did not suffocate, or die from the mattress we purchased, or the blanket we swaddled you in, or child abuse. The reason for autopsies in SIDS cases is to rule out all of these (and more) things as possible causes, thus the words "SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME" on the death certificate. So, before opening mouths and inserting feet, try a little education...it never hurts...ok, maybe a little after 10 pages of medical journals...but please read and ask questions. It will help every parent out there if people understood that SIDS is, was, and never will be our fault, because I am tired of reading articles and comments that try to blame and shame us.
Thanks for listening to Daddy's two cents, Colin. Hopefully they a worth far more than face value.
I love you!
Daddy
I think our society in general seems rather uneducated, especially when it comes to medical issues.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad how many people will go to a doctor and just nod and take their word as gospel, without ever taking the time to ask questions or understand anything about their own health. It's also sad how many people are so quick to blame others when something happens, just like you were talking about with SIDS.
If people cared about learning things that matter as much as they do about gossip and celebrities, this world would be such a better place.
I hate ignorance. Its no excuse, especially if they are members of the medical community. You think them of all people would educate themselves more about things they do not know about. We saw that alot when our daughter was in the hospital. Doctors had to come to us to gain information about her condition, instead of looking it up or asking another dr who had more expericne. It would make us mad. Why are we paying you thousands of dollars if we are the ones educating you??! Did not make sense to me!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see you survived the earthquake. Must have been scary. Thanks for you comment about Z's birthday. Knowing her she was sharing her cake with Colin and everyone else in Heaven! Take care Steven, thanks for always being there!
Ernesto