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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is defined as the sudden death of an infant or young child, which is unexpected by history, and in which a thorough postmortem fails to demonstrate an adequate cause for death. The causes of SIDS are unknown, and there are no tests that predict which will die of SIDS. Recommending that infants sleep on their backs is the only proven method of reducing the incidence of SIDS.

Epidemiology

SIDS is the second most common cause of death for infants less than 1 year of age, the first being congenital anomalies sudden infant death syndrome, SIDS, suden, sindrome.

Most deaths due to congenital anomalies and other causes occur during the first week of life, leaving SIDS as the most common cause of death during the post-perinatal period. SIDS accounts for 35% of post-perinatal deaths in the

The incidence of SIDS is 1.4 SIDS deaths/1000 live births. The incidence of SIDS is higher in males in SIDS all

SIDS rarely occurs during the first week of life. Most SIDS deaths occur between 1 and 5 months, peaking at about

SIDS is more likely to occur during the winter months. In Europe and North America, the January SIDS rate is double the incidence during

There is no single cause of SIDS. SIDS most likely has several different causes, all having in common that death was unexpected and that the cause cannot be

Infant Sleeping Position

Large controlled studies have confirmed the association between the prone sleeping position and an increased risk of SIDS (odds ratios Sudden Infant Death Syndrome SIDS between 3 and 12). The increased risk of SIDS associated with the prone sleeping position may be related to a developmental vulnerability to upper airway obstruction, leading to asphyxia and suffocation.

After about 6 months of age, when an infant can spontaneously change head, face, and body position, he or she is likely to be past the vulnerable period. The mechanism by which prone positioning could lead to SIDS is not known.

Healthy infants should be positioned on their back (supine) when being put down for sleep.

Recommendations for supine infant sleep positioning apply to newborn and young infants who sids are not yet able to change position on their own. Once an infant is able to roll over back-to-front, parents need not force the infant to sleep in th