ABOUT SIDS
What is SIDS?
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year of age that doesn’t have a known cause even after a complete investigation. This investigation includes performing a complete autopsy, examining the death scene, and reviewing the clinical history.
When a baby dies, health care providers, law enforcement personnel, and communities try to find out why. They ask questions, examine the baby, gather information, and run tests. If they can’t find a cause for the death, and if the baby was younger than 1 year old, the medical examiner or coroner will call the death SIDS.
If there is still some uncertainty as to the cause after it is determined to be fully unexplained, then the medical examiner or corner might leave the cause of death as “unknown”.
The Safe to Sleep® campaign, formerly known as the Back to Sleep campaign, focuses on actions you and others can take to help your baby sleep safely and to reduce your baby's risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related causes of infant death.
The term "SIDS" may sound scary, and the death of a baby is always heartbreaking. But there are a number of ways you can lower his or her risk while giving your baby the best care possible.
Learning about SIDS and safe sleep for babies is important for all caregivers, not just for parents. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, babysitters, childcare providers, and anyone else who might care for babies should learn more. Simple actions can make a big difference.