| What is SIDS?
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the diagnosis given for the sudden death of an
infant under one year of age that remains unexplained after a thorough case
investigation, including an autopsy, a death scene investigation, review of the
infant�s health status prior to dying, and other family medical history. SIDS is the
leading cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age. Most SIDS
deaths occur between the ages of two and four months.
Who is at risk for SIDS?
- Babies who sleep on their stomachs
- Babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy and babies that are exposed to
passive smoke after birth
- Babies born to mothers who are less than 20 years old at the time of their first
pregnancy
- Babies born to mothers who had no or late prenatal care
- Babies who are premature or low birth weight
- Babies who are placed to sleep on soft surfaces such as soft mattresses, sofas,
sofa cushions, waterbeds, sheep skins, or other soft surfaces
- Babies who are placed to sleep in an environment containing fluffy and loose
bedding, such as pillows, quilts or other coverings, stuffed toys, and other soft
items
It is also important to note that�
- Boys are at greater risk for SIDS than girls.
- African American infants are twice as likely to die of SIDS as white infants.
- American Indian infants are nearly three times more likely to die of SIDS as white
infants.
- More SIDS deaths occur in colder months.
- Several studies have demonstrated no association between receiving infant
immunizations and SIDS.
- SIDS is not contagious.
- SIDS is not caused by child abuse or neglect.
What causes SIDS?
- Although researchers are still trying to understand what causes SIDS, the
following are some important clues:
- Evidence suggests that some SIDS babies are born with brain abnormalities that
make them vulnerable to sudden death during infancy. In many SIDS babies,
abnormalities are found in parts of the brainstem that use serotonin as a
neurotransmitter, and are thought to be involved in the control of breathing during
sleep, sensing carbon dioxide and oxygen, and the ability to wake up. A baby with
this abnormality may lack a protective brain mechanism that senses abnormal
respiration or cardiovascular function and normally leads babies to wake up and take
a breath.
- Babies who sleep on their stomachs may get their faces caught in bedding, which
causes them to breathe too much carbon dioxide and too little oxygen. Researchers
are studying whether this is why sleeping on the stomach is hazardous and why babies
with brainstem abnormality die when sleeping in this position.
- A larger number of babies who died from SIDS apparently had respiratory or
gastrointestinal infections prior to their deaths. This fact may explain why more
SIDS cases occur during the colder months of the year.
- Researchers indicate that some SIDS babies had higher-than-normal numbers of cells
and proteins generated by the immune system. Some of these proteins interact with
the brain to alter heart rate, slow breathing during sleep, or put the baby into a
deep sleep, which may be strong enough to cause death, particularly if the baby has
an underlying brain abnormality.
What can parents and other caregivers do to lower the risk of SIDS?
- While there is currently no way to predict which babies will die from SIDS, there
are ways to lower the risk of SIDS:
- Place babies to sleep on their backs, unless advised otherwise by a physician.
- Place the baby on a firm mattress, such as in a safety-approved crib or other firm
surface.
- Remove all fluffy and loose bedding, such as fluffy blankets or other coverings,
pillows, quilts, and stuffed toys, from the baby�s sleep area.
- Get good prenatal care, including proper nutrition, no maternal smoking or
drug/alcohol use, and frequent medical check-ups beginning early in pregnancy.
- Take babies for regular well-baby check-ups and routine immunizations.
For more information about SIDS and infant sleep position, contact the Back to
Sleep campaign at 1-800-505-CRIB, or visit the National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD) web site at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sids/sids.htm.
NIH, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
Last updated: July 2001
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