Which of the following statements is true about sudden infant death syndrome SIDS )?

Health care providers and others may use some of the following terms when discussing infant deaths.

• Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID): The death of an infant younger than 1 year of age that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly. After a full investigation, these deaths may be diagnosed as:
  • Suffocation: When no air reaches a baby's lungs, usually caused by a block in the airway
  • Entrapment: When a baby gets trapped between two objects, such as a mattress and wall, and can't breathe
  • Infection: When a baby has a cold or other infection caused by a virus or bacteria that makes breathing difficult
  • Ingestion: When a baby takes something into the mouth that blocks the airway or causes choking
  • Metabolic diseases: Conditions related to how the body functions that can lead to problems with breathing
  • Cardiac arrhythmias: When a baby's heart beats too fast or too slow and affects breathing
  • Trauma (accidental or non-accidental): When a baby experiences an injury
  • SIDS

In some cases, the evidence is not clear or not enough information is available, so the death is considered to be of undetermined cause.

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): One type of SUID, SIDS is the sudden death of an infant younger than 1 year of age that cannot be explained even after a full investigation that includes a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history.
• Accidental Suffocation and Strangulation in Bed (ASSB): One type of SUID, ASSB is a cause-of-death code used for vital statistics purposes. This code is used to identify infant deaths caused by suffocation or asphyxia (blockage of the infant's airway) in a sleeping environment. For example:
  • Suffocation by soft bedding: When soft bedding, a pillow, or a waterbed mattress blocks the infant's airway.
  • Overlay: When another person shares the sleep surface with the infant and lays on or rolls on top of or against the infant while sleeping, blocking the infant's airway.
  • Wedging or entrapment: When an infant gets trapped between two objects, such as a mattress and wall, bed frame, or furniture, blocking the infant's airway.
  • Strangulation: When something presses on or wraps around the infant's head and neck blocking the airway.
• Co-Sleeping: A sleep arrangement in which the parent (or another person) and infant sleep in close proximity (on the same surface or different surfaces) so as to be able to see, hear, and/or touch each other. Co-sleeping arrangements can include room sharing or bed sharing. The terms "bed sharing" and "co-sleeping" are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings.
• Room Sharing: A sleep arrangement in which an infant sleeps in the same room as parents or other adults, but on a separate sleep surface, such as a crib, bassinet, or play yard. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that the infant's sleep surface be close to the parents' bed to aid in feeding, comforting, and monitoring of the infant. Room sharing is known to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death.
• Bed Sharing: A sleep arrangement in which an infant sleeps on the same surface, such as a bed, couch, or chair, with another person. Sleeping with a baby in an adult bed increases the risk of suffocation and other sleep-related causes of infant death.

Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is a term used to describe the sudden and unexpected death of a baby less than 1 year old in which the cause was not obvious before investigation. These deaths often happen during sleep or in the baby’s sleep area. Learn more about the problem and CDC activities.

About 3,400 babies in the United States die suddenly and unexpectedly each year. A thorough investigation is necessary to learn what caused these deaths. Sudden unexpected infant deaths include sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation in a sleeping environment, and other deaths from unknown causes. Although the SUID rate has declined since 1990s, significant racial and ethnic differences continue. See Data and Statistics for more information about trends and SUID by race and ethnicity.

Different practices in investigating and reporting SUID can affect the ability to reliably monitor SUID trends and risk factors at the state and national level. Additionally, because parents or caregivers do not usually see these deaths as they happen, investigators may not be able to get a clear description of the circumstances surrounding the death, which are necessary for determining the cause.

CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) provides scientific leadership in SUID by sharing the most up-to-date information about SUID rates and circumstances linked with SUID. CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health also has SUID monitoring programs in 22 states and jurisdictions, covering about 1 in 3 SUID cases in the United States. Participating states and jurisdictions work to improve data quality on SUID cases. This effort leads to a better understanding of circumstances that may increase the risk of SUID. Program awardees also use data about SUID trends and circumstances to carry out strategies to reduce future deaths. In addition, CDC collaborated with a number of organizations and subject matter experts to develop training materials and a reporting form for investigators.

CDC supports the 2022 recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to reduce the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths. Caregivers can visit How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained to find out more about these recommendations. CDC collaborates with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in its Safe to Sleep® campaign, formerly known as the Back to Sleep campaign. The Safe to Sleep® campaign has outreach activities to spread safe sleep messages and educational materials about ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths. Learn more about CDC resources, publications, and activities to address SUID and SIDS.

What is sudden infant death syndrome?

What are 3 things that can cause SIDS?

Which of the following is true of the factors that are linked to sudden infant death syndrome SIDS?

What are the 4 factors that are associated with SIDS?