Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

SIDS is “the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age, which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history.”
The peak incidence of SIDs occurs in infants 2 to 4 months of age. The etiology of SIDS remains unknown, but risk factors include prone sleeping position, sleeping on a soft surface, and second-hand smoke. The incidence of SIDS has declined 40%40 since the “Back to Sleep” public education campaign was introduced in the United States in 1992. This campaign aims to educate parents about placing an infant on the back rather than the abdomen or side to sleep.