Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

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What is SIDS?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene and review of the clinical history. SIDS, sometimes referred to as "crib death," occurs during sleep. The death is sudden and unpredictable. In most cases the baby seems healthy. It is important to know that sleeping in a crib does not cause SIDS.

SIDS is one of the leading causes of death in babies between one month and one year of age. Most SIDS deaths occur when a baby is between two and four months old. SIDS strikes nearly 2,500 babies in the United States every year. About 200 babies in California die each year from SIDS. The occurrence of SIDS has declined 50 percent (pdf) since the introduction of the 1992 Back to Sleep campaign (pdf).

After more than 30 years of research, scientists still do not know the definite causes for SIDS. There is no way to predict or prevent SIDS. However, there are infant care practices that have been shown to significantly lower the risk of SIDS.

What Is SIDS? (pdf)
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

¿Qué es el SMIS? (pdf)
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Reduce the Risk

What you can do to help reduce the risk of SIDS:

• Place your baby on his or her back to sleep for naps and at night.
• Keep your baby in a smoke-free environment. Smoking around the baby doubles the risk of SIDS.
• Place your baby on a firm, flat sleep surface. Never place your baby to sleep on sofas, recliners, chairs, waterbeds and any soft materials such as pillows, soft linens, or sheepskins.
• Keep soft objects, stuffed toys, and loose bedding out of baby's sleep area. This includes crib bumper pads.
• Avoid overheating or overdressing your baby. Dress the baby in as much or as little as you would wear.
• Your baby's sleep area should be close to, but separate from you and others. If you bring your baby to bed with you to breastfeed, put him or her back in a separate sleep area such as a bassinet or cradle. Room sharing is safer than bed sharing (pdf).
• Consider using a pacifier at sleep and nap times (pdf). If you are breastfeeding, wait one month or until breastfeeding is firmly established before introducing a pacifier.
• Share these important safe sleep and SIDS risk reduction practices with all who care for your baby such as relatives, babysitters, and day care providers (pdf). Talk to everyone who cares for your baby about safe sleep practices (pdf) and what works best to help your baby to sleep.

More Ways to Keep Baby Healthy

• Tummy Time: Place your baby on her/his stomach when awake and someone is watching. Tummy time helps your baby's head, neck, and shoulder muscles get stronger and helps to prevent flat spots on the head.
• Breast feed if possible: It promotes bonding and helps protect baby from illnesses.

A Public Health Nurse Can Help

Public health nurses (PHNs) are specially trained in bereavement. They provide grief support, information, referrals, and link families and caregivers affected by SIDS to peer support programs.

Throughout the year, PHNs also provide community outreach education to increase awareness of SIDS, and to promote risk reduction practices. Contact the county SIDS coordinator for more information at (707) 565-4440 or email: lsloan@sonoma-county.org. Se habla español.

Whether you are a SIDS parent looking for support, or a member of the community looking for information regarding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, your public health nurse can assist you.

Online Resources

California SIDS Program
Provides a wide variety of information, including Grief & Bereavement resources, SIDS Facts, and infant care practices for Reducing the Risk of SIDS.

State of California SIDS Program
The State of California Maternal and Child Health Branch provides information about the SIDS program.

First Candle
First Candle is a national nonprofit health organization providing guidance and materials for educational efforts on reducing the risk of infant death as well as providing compassionate grief support to those affected by an infant death.

SIDS Alliance of Northern California
A non-profit, volunteer group of SIDS parents and professionals dedicated to family support and community education regarding SIDS.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: SIDS "Back to Sleep Campaign
Free materials and publications.

National SIDS Resource Center
Provides information services and technical assistance on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and related topics.

Related Links

Do Pacifiers Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome? (pdf)
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (pdf)
Summary of research into causes of SIDS.
Source: Thomas G. Keens, M.D., 22nd Annual SIDS Conference, October 2002.