SIDS is the sudden, unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year old. It's called "unexplained" because even after doctors do a full check-up, look at where the baby was sleeping, and review the family's medical history, they still can't find a reason for why the baby died. SIDS is the leading cause of death for children between 1 month and 1 year of age. Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is a broader term that describes any sudden and unexpected death occurring during infancy, whether it is explained or unexplained. In the United States, about 3,700 infants died from SUID in 2022, 1,529 of those deaths were from SIDS.
What Causes SIDS?
Doctors and researchers don't know the exact cause of SIDS, but they have some ideas. One idea is called the Triple-Risk Model. This model suggests that three things need to happen together for SIDS to occur:
1. An "at-risk" baby: This means a baby has a hidden problem, like a brain difference or a genetic change, that no one knows about.
2. A special time in the baby's growth: This is usually during the first 6 months of life when babies are growing super fast and their bodies are learning to control things like breathing and heart rate.
3. Things in the environment that cause stress: These are outside things like sleeping on their tummy, getting too hot, or being around cigarette smoke.
Scientists believe that if only one or two of these things are present, SIDS might not happen. But when all three happen at the same time, the chances of SIDS are higher. Since we often don't know if a baby has a hidden problem or when they are in that "special time of growth," the best way to lower the risk is to remove or reduce the environmental stressors.
Ways to Reduce the Risk of SIDS
• Always put babies to sleep on their back.
Once a baby can roll over by themselves from back to stomach and stomach to back, you can let them stay in the position they choose after you've put them on their back to start.
• Avoid overheating.
Dress the baby in layers, and generally, no more than one layer more than an adult would wear to be comfortable. Watch for signs of overheating like sweating or flushed skin.
• Avoid smoke.
Exposure to smoke is a huge risk factor for SIDS.
• Breastfeed your baby.
Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of SIDS. Any amount of breastfeeding helps, and the longer you breastfeed, the more protection there is.
• Don't rely on home monitors for SIDS prevention.
Devices that monitor a baby's heart rate or breathing at home haven't been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS.
The “Back to Sleep” campaign was started in 1994. Since the campaign started, the number of newborns sleeping on their back has tripled, and the rate of SIDS has been cut in half. The dramatic decrease in SIDS as more newborns are sleeping on their backs shows that what position newborns sleep in is a big key in preventing SIDS.
Sources:
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/factsheets/sids
https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/reduce-risk/back-sleeping
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057990/188304/Sleep-Related-Infant-Deaths-Updated-2022?autologincheck=redirected
https://journals.lww.com/jaapa/Fulltext/2018/11000/Preventing_sudden_infant_death_syndrome_and_other.3.aspx
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8424793/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34496779/
https://www.eurosafe.eu.com/measures-to-promote-a-safe-sleeping-environment-and-to-reduce-the-risk-of-all-sleep-related-infant
https://www.cdc.gov/sudden-infant-death/data-research/data/index.html
What Causes SIDS?
Doctors and researchers don't know the exact cause of SIDS, but they have some ideas. One idea is called the Triple-Risk Model. This model suggests that three things need to happen together for SIDS to occur:
1. An "at-risk" baby: This means a baby has a hidden problem, like a brain difference or a genetic change, that no one knows about.
2. A special time in the baby's growth: This is usually during the first 6 months of life when babies are growing super fast and their bodies are learning to control things like breathing and heart rate.
3. Things in the environment that cause stress: These are outside things like sleeping on their tummy, getting too hot, or being around cigarette smoke.
Scientists believe that if only one or two of these things are present, SIDS might not happen. But when all three happen at the same time, the chances of SIDS are higher. Since we often don't know if a baby has a hidden problem or when they are in that "special time of growth," the best way to lower the risk is to remove or reduce the environmental stressors.
Ways to Reduce the Risk of SIDS
• Always put babies to sleep on their back.
Once a baby can roll over by themselves from back to stomach and stomach to back, you can let them stay in the position they choose after you've put them on their back to start.
• Avoid overheating.
Dress the baby in layers, and generally, no more than one layer more than an adult would wear to be comfortable. Watch for signs of overheating like sweating or flushed skin.
• Avoid smoke.
Exposure to smoke is a huge risk factor for SIDS.
• Breastfeed your baby.
Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of SIDS. Any amount of breastfeeding helps, and the longer you breastfeed, the more protection there is.
• Don't rely on home monitors for SIDS prevention.
Devices that monitor a baby's heart rate or breathing at home haven't been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS.
The “Back to Sleep” campaign was started in 1994. Since the campaign started, the number of newborns sleeping on their back has tripled, and the rate of SIDS has been cut in half. The dramatic decrease in SIDS as more newborns are sleeping on their backs shows that what position newborns sleep in is a big key in preventing SIDS.
Sources:
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/factsheets/sids
https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/reduce-risk/back-sleeping
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057990/188304/Sleep-Related-Infant-Deaths-Updated-2022?autologincheck=redirected
https://journals.lww.com/jaapa/Fulltext/2018/11000/Preventing_sudden_infant_death_syndrome_and_other.3.aspx
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8424793/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34496779/
https://www.eurosafe.eu.com/measures-to-promote-a-safe-sleeping-environment-and-to-reduce-the-risk-of-all-sleep-related-infant
https://www.cdc.gov/sudden-infant-death/data-research/data/index.html
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