Diagnostic Division: Safety

Definition: Presence of risk factors for sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age, which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history. SIDS is a subset of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) that is the sudden and unexpected death of an infant due to natural or unnatural causes.].

RISK FACTORS

Modifiable
Delayed/lack of prenatal care; Infants placed to sleep in the prone/side-lying position; Soft underlayment (loose articles in the sleep environment); Infant overheating/overwrapping; Prenatal/postnatal smoke exposure

Potentially Modifiable
Young maternal age; Low birth weight; Prematurity

Nonmodifiable
Male gender; Ethnicity (e.g., African American, Native American); Seasonality of SIDS deaths (higher in winter and fall months); Infant age of 2 to 4 months

RELATED FACTORS
To be developed