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Fact Sheet

Secondhand Smoke Causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

(October 2006)

• Secondhand smoke causes sudden infant death syndrome.¹
  • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexplained, unexpected death of an infant in the first year of life.²
  • SIDS is the leading cause of death in otherwise healthy infants after one month of age.²
• While the mechanisms that cause SIDS are not fully understood, several factors have been clearly shown to increase the risk of SIDS.
  • Smoking by women during pregnancy causes SIDS.³
  • Infants who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are also at greater risk of SIDS.¹
  • Infants who are exposed to both these risk factors are at especially high risk.¹
• The conclusion that secondhand smoke exposure causes SIDS is supported both by biological studies in animals and epidemiological studies in humans.¹
  • Chemicals in secondhand smoke appear to affect the brain in ways that interfere with its regulation of infants' breathing.¹
  • Infants who die from SIDS have higher concentrations of nicotine in their lungs and higher levels of cotinine (a biological marker for secondhand smoke exposure) than infants who die from other causes.¹
• Parents can help protect their babies from SIDS by taking the following three actions:
  • Not smoking when pregnant¹
  • Not smoking in the home or around the baby after the baby is born¹
  • Putting the baby down to sleep on its back⁴

References

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006 [cited 2006 Oct 23]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm.
2. American Academy of Pediatrics. Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The Changing Concept of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Diagnostic Coding Shifts; Controversies Regarding the Sleeping Environment; and New Variables to Consider in Reducing Risk. Pediatrics. 2005;116:1245-1255 [cited 2006 Oct 23].
3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004 [cited 2006 Oct 23]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2004/index.htm
4. National Institutes of Health. Safe Sleep for Your Baby: Ten Ways to Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. August 2003 [cited 2006 Oct 23]. NIH Pub No. 05-7040. Available from: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/safe_sleep_gen.cfm.

For Further Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO

Media Inquiries: Contact CDC's Office on Smoking and Health press line at 770-488-5493.

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