Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Many questions about the causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as “crib death,” are still unresolved. The mysterious and elusive nature of SIDS creates problems, doubts, and more questions. This paper will present some of the most commonly asked questions as well as the answers that have been uncovered by scientists after years of research and study.

In 1969, researchers agreed to define SIDS as “the sudden death of an infant or young child, which is unexpected by history, and in which a thorough postmortem examination fails to demonstrate an adequate cause of death” (Bergman, 1970).

What Causes SIDS?

The cause or causes of SIDS are still unknown. Most researchers now believe that babies who die of SIDS are born with one or more conditions that make them vulnerable to both internal and external stresses that occur in the normal life of an infant. Most deaths from SIDS occur by the end of the sixth month with the greatest number taking place between two and four months of age. A SIDS death occurs quickly and is often associated with sleep, with no signs of suffering. More deaths are reported in the winter months and most victims are boys, with a sixty-to-forty percent male-to-female ratio.

How Many Babies Die from SIDS?

From year to year, the number of SIDS deaths tends to remain constant despite fluctuations in the overall number of infant deaths. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) report...

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