Condition BasicsWhat is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?Sometimes a baby who seems healthy dies during sleep. If this happens to a healthy baby younger than 1 year old, it's called sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS. Show
In most cases, a parent or caregiver places the baby down to sleep and returns later to find the baby has died. It's no one's fault. SIDS can happen even when you do everything right. What causes it?Doctors don't know what causes SIDS, but researchers are studying the possibility that SIDS may be caused by problems with how well the brain controls breathing, heart rate and rhythm, and temperature during the first few months of life. There are some factors that may increase the risk of SIDS. If during pregnancy, the mother:
If the baby is:
What are the symptoms?SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS seem healthy before being put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed. How is it diagnosed?SIDS is named the cause of death only when no other cause is found. To find out why a baby died, medical experts review the baby's and parents' medical histories, study the area where the baby died, and do an autopsy. How can you reduce the risk of SIDS?There is no sure way to prevent SIDS. But there are some things you can do to help reduce the risk of SIDS and other deaths related to sleep.
How can a family cope after losing a baby to SIDS?Each member of your family may respond to the loss of the baby in a different way. These different ways of coping with the baby's death can strain a marriage and a family. Along with feeling grief, family members may be struggling with feelings of guilt. Support from family, friends, your doctor, and possibly other health professionals is very important for everyone. You might find it helpful to:
CreditsCurrent as of: September 20, 2021 Author: Healthwise Staff If you're a parent, you've likely heard horror stories of families losing babies in their sleep, a cause of death referred to as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The acronym represents every parent's worst nightmare, and has led many families searching for tools to help them prevent it. But new research may help doctors predict who is at higher risk for SIDS in the future. Indeed, according to a May 2022 study, a biochemical marker may actually be the key to unlocking the mysterious cause behind SIDS. "They [researchers] found the activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) was significantly lower in babies who died of SIDS compared to living infants and other non-SIDS infant deaths," explains an article on BioSpace, the digital hub for life science news. "BChE plays a major role in the brain's arousal pathway, explaining why SIDS typically occurs during sleep." Of course, this news is groundbreaking—but the study did have its limitations and the findings are still only one piece of the puzzle. Parents should still take safe sleeping precautions, like placing babies on their backs when they sleep and keeping toys and blankets out of their cribs. But this research could potentially help to identify which infants are more at risk for SIDS and help to prevent it. Here's everything you need to know about SIDS, from what it is to what the latest research shows. What Is SIDS?Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as an infant death which cannot be explained after a thorough case investigation, including a scene investigation, autopsy, and review of clinical history. Due to the sudden and unexplained nature of SIDS, it is a common concern and worry for parents. How Many Children Die From SIDS Each Year?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 3,400 sudden unexpected infant deaths in the U.S. each year. Some of those deaths are due to SIDS. Some are due to accidental strangulation and suffocation, as well as abusive trauma. What Are the Symptoms of SIDS?"Unfortunately, there are no preceding symptoms of SIDS," says William Mudd, D.O., pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children's. However, "the majority of infants will be less than 6 months of age and be found unresponsive, cool, or with dusky gray and blue color changes after they were put to sleep," says Melissa Manrique, M.D., pediatric hospitalist at Lurie Children's at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital. According to one study, sweating may also be a symptom of SIDS in the days and weeks before the infant death. What Causes SIDS?While researchers have long believed that brain defects, biological factors, and/or environmental components played a role in sudden infant death syndrome, the cause alluded many. New research released in May 2022, however, could help point to one potential cause of SIDS. "Babies have a very powerful mechanism to let us know when they are not happy," lead researcher Dr. Carmel Harrington told The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network. "Usually, if a baby is confronted with a life-threatening situation, such as difficulty breathing during sleep because they are on their tummies, they will arouse and cry out. What this research shows is that some babies don't have this same robust arousal response." This deficit reduces an infant's ability to wake, causing vulnerability to SIDS. How Can SIDS Be Prevented?While there is not currently a known cause of SIDS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that parents and caregivers take the following steps to help reduce their baby's risk of SIDS:
Taking things one step further, on May 16 President Joe Biden signed into law new legislation—the "Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021"—that prohibits the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers or inclined sleepers for infants. And now, based on the new study findings, SIDS could one day be a thing of the past. There may be a way to prevent SIDS—or, to put it another way, there could be a cure. "Now that we know that BChE is involved we can begin to change the outcome for these babies and make SIDS a thing of the past," added Dr. Harrington. "This finding represents the possibility for the identification of infants at risk for SIDS infants prior to death and opens new avenues for future research into specific interventions." What are 5 possible causes of SIDS?Risk factors. Sex. Boys are slightly more likely to die of SIDS .. Age. Infants are most vulnerable between the second and fourth months of life.. Race. For reasons that aren't well-understood, nonwhite infants are more likely to develop SIDS .. Family history. ... . Secondhand smoke. ... . Being premature.. What is the main cause of sudden infant death syndrome?While the cause of SIDS is unknown, many clinicians and researchers believe that SIDS is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide.
What are 3 things that can cause SIDS?Several factors increase a baby's risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.. Low birth weight infants.. Premature infants.. Sex of the baby-boys have a higher incidence of SIDS.. Race: African American, American Indian or Native Alaskan babies have a higher risk for SIDS.. Babies who sleep on their stomachs.. What age is SIDS most common?Most SIDS deaths happen in babies between 1 and 4 months old, and cases rise during cold weather. Babies might have a higher risk of SIDS if: their mother smoked, drank, or used drugs during pregnancy and after birth. their mother had poor prenatal care.
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