Sudden Death Infant Syndrome (SIDS)

February 5, 2022

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year old. Most SIDS deaths are associated with sleep, which is why it’s sometimes still called “crib death.”

What are the symptoms?

SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs.

WHAT IS SIDS and how can it be prevented?

There’s no guaranteed way to prevent SIDS , but you can help your baby sleep more safely by following these tips: Back to sleep.

• Back to sleep.Place your baby to sleep on his or her back, rather than on the stomach or side, every time you — or anyone else — put the baby to sleep for the first year of life. This isn’t necessary when your baby’s awake or able to roll over both ways without help.
• Keep the crib as bare as possible.Use a firm mattress and avoid placing your baby on thick, fluffy padding.
• Don’t overheat your baby. Keep your baby warm, not hot. Don’t cover your baby’s head.
• Have your baby sleep in in your room.
• Breast-feed your baby, if possible.
• Offer a pacifier. Sucking on a pacifier without a strap or string at naptime and bedtime might reduce the risk of SIDS. One caveat — if you’re breast-feeding, wait to offer a pacifier until your baby is 3 to 4 weeks old and you’ve settled into a nursing routine.

If your baby’s not interested in the pacifier, don’t force it. Try again another day. If the pacifier falls out of your baby’s mouth while he or she is sleeping, don’t pop it back in.

• Immunize your baby.There’s no evidence that routine immunizations increase SIDS risk. Some evidence indicates immunizations can help prevent SIDS.

 

 

Risk factors

Although sudden infant death syndrome can strike any infant, researchers have identified several factors that might increase a baby’s risk. They include:

• Sex.Boys are slightly more likely to die of SIDS.
• Infants are most vulnerable between the second and fourth months of life.
• For reasons that aren’t well-understood, nonwhite infants are more likely to develop SIDS.
• Family history. Babies who’ve had siblings or cousins die of SIDS are at higher risk of SIDS.
• Secondhand smoke.Babies who live with smokers have a higher risk of SIDS.
• Being premature. Both being born early and having a low birth weight increase your baby’s chances of SIDS.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy