Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death or crib death, is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remains unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and detailed death scene investigation. SIDS usually occurs during sleep. Typically death occurs between the hours of 00:00 and 09:00. There is usually no evidence of struggle and no noise produced.

Causes

The exact cause of SIDS is unknown. The requirement of a combination of factors including a specific underlying susceptibility, a specific time in development, and an environmental stressor has been proposed. These environmental stressors may include sleeping on the stomach or side, overheating, and exposure to tobacco smoke. Accidental suffocation from bed sharing (also known as co-sleeping) or soft objects may also play a role. Another risk factor is being born before 39 weeks of gestation. SIDS makes up about 80% of sudden and unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs).

Prevention

While the cause of SIDS is unknown, a number of measures have been found to be effective in preventing it. This includes putting the baby on its back to sleep and not smoking during pregnancy. A firm mattress without soft objects (like pillows or toys) in the crib is also recommended. Breastfeeding and immunization may also be preventive. While babies are at higher risk of SIDS during sleep, the risk of accidental suffocation is higher if the baby is sleeping in the bed with parents, so room-sharing without bed-sharing is recommended. Pacifiers appear to decrease the risk of SIDS, even if they fall out after the child falls asleep.

Epidemiology

SIDS was the third leading cause of death in infants of one month to one year of age in the United States in 2011. About 0.5 in 1,000 babies are affected in the developed world. SIDS is the most common cause of death between one month and one year of age. About 90% of cases happen before six months of age, with it being rare after one year. It occurs more often in males than females.

See also

• Infant mortality
• Child mortality
• Sleep apnea

References

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Resources
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