Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) (2024)

FAQs

At what age is SIDS no longer a worry? ›

SIDS is less common after 8 months of age, but parents and caregivers should continue to follow safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death until baby's first birthday. More than 90% of all SIDS deaths occur before 6 months of age.

They found the survival rate for SIDS was 0%. Although 5% of infants had a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), none ultimately survived.

Babies who have stopped breathing due to SIDS cannot always be brought back to life with CPR. However, it is possible to revive them when CPR is performed in time. For infants in a cardiorespiratory arrest, the first priority is to deliver a primary survey or the ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation).

SIDS usually occurs when a baby is asleep, although it can occasionally happen while they're awake.

If a baby is breathing stale air and not getting enough oxygen, the brain usually triggers the baby to wake up and cry to get more oxygen.

Even though the thought can be deeply unsettling, experts agree that there aren't any warning signs for SIDS. And since SIDS isn't diagnosed until after an infant has died and the death has been investigated, you can't catch SIDS while it's happening and stop it, for instance, by performing CPR.

Ninety percent of SIDS deaths occur within the first 6 months of life, with the rate peaking between 1 to 4 months. Death comes suddenly and unpredictably, usually during sleep. In most cases, the baby seems healthy before death.

Place babies on their backs to sleep for naps and at night.

It is not safe to place babies on their sides or stomachs to sleep, not even for a nap. The safest sleep position is on the back. Babies who sleep on their backs are at lower risk for SIDS than babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides.

Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the occurrence of SIDS by over 50 percent by improving the immune system, promoting brain growth, reducing reflux and a variety of other factors. While six months of breastfeeding is recommended, only two months of breastfeeding is required to significantly cut the risk of SIDS.

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.

Do babies cry during SIDS? ›

In comparison to a group of newborn controls, the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) victim's cries exhibited a lower fo, longer duration, lower formant frequencies and greater sound pressure level throughout the spectrum.

Most of these babies appear to have died during their sleep, usually between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. This is why other names for SIDS include “crib death” or “cot death.” Cribs don't cause SIDS, but a baby's sleep environment can affect sleep-related causes of death.

After 6-months old, babies are typically able to lift their heads, roll over, or wake up more easily, and the risk of SIDS decreases dramatically. However, 10% of SIDS happens between 6 and 12 months of age and safe sleep recommendations should be followed up to a baby first birthday.

Why Does SIDS Peak at 2-4 Months? The widely accepted explanation for the SIDS peak has to do with the timeline of brain development. “Up to 4 months old, the part of the brain that controls breathing and wakefulness is under a lot of development,” Juliet explains.

Most infants who die from SIDS are between two and four months of age, and 90 percent are less than six months old. Most such infants die during sleep, often between midnight and 6 AM, and have no signs that they suffered.