Sudden Death Syndrome (SIDS)

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Each year approximately 2,100 deaths of infants under 12 months of age are attributed to “crib death”—a problem best known as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This accounts for the largest number of deaths occurring during the first year of life in developed countries with a rate of about 1–2.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, or about 7.7% of infant fatalities, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (Kung, Hoyert, Xu, & Murphy, 2005). Researchers and medical professionals are still in the process of trying to understand the causes of this condition, particularly given that the majority of cases occur in apparently healthy infants. Although there are some indications that this condition is related to delayed development of physiological arousal and cardiorespiratory control, the actual mechanisms behind this problem remain unknown. Recent research findings suggest that there may be an abnormality in the lower part of the brain stem that controls breathing, blood pressure, body heat, and neurotransmission of serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain. What we do know is that premature infants have a five times greater risk for SIDS than full-term infants, that SIDS is seen more frequently in boys than girls, and that there also is higher risk for infants born to mothers who smoke, are not married, and/or come from impoverished backgrounds. In addition, many of the parents of babies succumbing to SIDS reported mild cold symptoms prior to the event. As might be expected, parents are devastated at the unexpected loss of their infant, and often experience intense guilt and grief. Prevention measures, such as keeping infants on their back as much as possible, avoiding overheating, and avoiding soft, loose bedding, all have contributed to reducing the occurrence of SIDS (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2000).