SIDS & Safe Sleeping Habits
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). each year in the United States, there are about 3,500 Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID). These deaths occur among infants less than 1 year old and have no immediately obvious cause.
The three commonly reported types of SUID are:
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SIDS - About 1,500 infants died of SIDS in 2014.
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Unknown cause.
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Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.
According to the CDC, in 2018 there were about 1,300 deaths due to SIDS, about 1,300 deaths due to unknown causes, and about 800 deaths due to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.
What is SIDS?
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) defines Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) as the sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation is conducted, including a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and a review of the clinical history. About 1,500 infants died of SIDS in 2014. SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants 1 to 12 months old.
What causes SIDS?
The sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age that can happen because of
- Suffocation by soft bedding—for example, when a pillow or waterbed covers an infant's nose and mouth.
- Overlay - when another person rolls on top of or against the infant while sleeping.
- Wedging or entrapment - when an infant is wedged between two objects such as a mattress and wall, bed frame, or furniture.
- Strangulation - for example, when an infant’s head and neck become caught between crib railings.
Finnbin recommends that all new and expecting parents educate themselves on ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths.
We recommend the following links for more information:
CDC Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome