I HAVE A WOODSTOCK FIREVIEW AND I AM HEATING MY 1400 SQ. FT. CAPE. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO EXPERIENCE 77 - 80 DEGREE ROOM TEMPERATURES. I HAVE AN OPEN FLOOR PLAN AND A CEILING FAN. I HAVE BEEN RUNNING MY STOVE AS A PRIMARY HEAT SOURCE FOR THREE YEARS NOW. IS THIS TYPICAL? MY WIFE AND I HAVE A NEW BABY AT HOME AND SHE WAS WONDERING IF THE ROOM TEMPERATURE IS A CONCERN.

! Infants do not regulate their temperature as well as adults do, as when they are born, the nervous system is not complete. They easily become over heated, instead of cooling down when too warm. SIDS is most common in male infants from 1 month to 1 year, but we watch for it for 2 years. Normally an infants brain will tell it to wake up and cry, which will cause a rapid higher intake of oxygen when levels of carbon dioxide is elevated by TOO WARM A ROOM, BED CLOTHING AROUND INFANTS, CAUSING INFANT TO BREATH STALE AIR, HAVING A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARBON DIOXIDE. A baby should sleep in a cool room- 60-70 degrees! You are 10-20 degrees too high- making the incidence of SIDS rise. There are other reasons for SIDS- a part of the brain that is damaged, and does not tell the infant to breath when carbon dioxide levels are higher in the blood. SIDS IS MORE PREVELANT IN THE WINTER- WHEN SLEEPING AREA IS TOO WARM! Please, talk to your pedi- you are putting your infant at risk with a indoor sleeping temp of 75-80. When an infant is awake, he is more active, and the levels of oxygen/co2 are regulated by a more active/awake baby. If you can't talk to your pedi VERY SOON about this, try Googling SIDS- you will probably find some info- but make sure it is a medical site. Also, I am sure you have been told- NEVER put baby to sleep on his stomach, as when breathing into the bedding, bedclothes, blanket, causes the baby to breath stale air- that has a higher co2 level. Also, there is a theroy that it makes the jaw open, closing the airway. Please trust me on this- I have worked in Labor/Delivery, NICU for 30 years. Your nurse s during your stay at the hospital should have gone over this with you.