Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant younger than one year old. Some people call SIDS "crib death" because many babies who die of SIDS are found in their cribs.

SIDS is the leading cause of death in children between one month and one year old. Most SIDS deaths occur when babies are between two months and four months old. Premature babies, boys, African Americans, and American Indian/Alaska Native infants have a higher risk of SIDS.

Although health care professionals don't know what causes SIDS, they do know ways to reduce the risk. These include

• Placing babies on their backs to sleep, even for short naps. "Tummy time" is for when babies are awake and someone is watching
• Using a firm sleep surface, such as a crib mattress covered with a fitted sheet
• Keeping soft objects and loose bedding away from sleep area
• Making sure babies don't get too hot. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature for an adult.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

SIDS Fact Sheet

What is SIDS?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexpected death of an infant under 1 year of age that remains unexplained after a complete investigation, including:

1.    an autopsy

2.    examination of death scene  and

3.    Review of medical history.

In the United States, SIDS is the major cause of death in infants between 1 month and 1 year of age, with most deaths occurring between 2 and 4 months. SIDS happens in families of all social, economic and ethnic groups. SIDS is not contagious, predictable or preventable. SIDS is sudden and silent, occurring most often during sleep, with no signs of suffering. Terms used in the past to describe SIDS include “crib death” or “cot death.”

How common is SIDS?

The SIDS rate has dropped dramatically. However, there are approximately 2,500 infants who die of SIDS every year in the U.S., and SIDS is the third leading cause of infant mortality. In 2009, SIDS was responsible for 57 infant deaths in Illinois, compared with 106 infant deaths in 1999. SIDS occurs more often in males and in African-American and American Indian or Alaskan Native infants. More SIDS deaths occur in the colder months.

What Causes SIDS?

The cause(s) of SIDS is still unknown. However, it is generally accepted SIDS is a combination of factors or events. A leading theory is that an infant who appears to be healthy has an underlying defect located in the brain stem. This area in the brain controls heart and lung functions, including heart rate and breathing. SIDS studies indicate some babies have a delay in the development of or an abnormality in the part of the brain involved in breathing and waking. Babies born with this abnormality may be more vulnerable to sudden death.

Other factors also could play a role in SIDS. For example, if an infant with an underlying problem is exposed to other factors or stressors, such as secondhand smoke or sleeping on their stomach, the infant is at a higher risk of dying from SIDS.

Because the exact cause of SIDS remains unknown and there is no way of predicting which infants are at a higher risk, it is important to eliminate the risk factors that can be controlled. These factors include exposure to secondhand smoke, tummy sleeping and other unsafe sleep practices.

What are the SIDS Risk Factors?

1.    Infants who are placed on their sides or tummies at bed time or nap time

2.    Use of any soft or loose bedding, including quilts, heavy blankets and bumper pads

3.    Bed-sharing (both baby and adults or children sharing the same sleep surface, including beds or couches)

4.    Overheating or over-bundling the baby

5.    Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and infant's exposure to secondhand smoke

6.    Little or no prenatal care

7.    Maternal age less than 20 years

8.    Premature or low birth weight babies

American Academy of Pediatrics 2011 SIDS Policy Recommendations

In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) revised its policy statement regarding SIDS based on recent research studies. Recommendations now include:

• Back to sleep for every sleep until 1 year of life
• Use a firm sleep surface, such as a crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet
• Room-sharing without bed-sharing is recommended
• Keep soft objects and loose bedding out of the crib to reduce the risk of SIDS, suffocation, entrapment, and strangulation
• Pregnant women should receive regular prenatal care
• Avoid smoke exposure during pregnancy and after birth
• Avoid alcohol and illicit drug use during pregnancy and after birth
• Breastfeeding is recommended
• Consider offering a pacifier at nap time and bedtime
• Avoid overheating the baby
• Infants should be immunized in accordance with recommendations of the AAP and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Avoid commercial devices marketed to reduce the risk of SIDS
• Do not use home cardio respiratory monitors as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS
• Supervised, awake tummy time is recommended to facilitate development and to minimize development of positional plagiocephaly