What is SIDS?
SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), or cot death, is the sudden and unexpected death of an infant under one year of age, with onset of the lethal episode apparently occurring during sleep, that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation including performance of a complete autopsy, and review of the circumstances of death and the clinical history.
SIDS is a tragedy for any parents. In many countries there are organizations that provide support for affected families and advice about SIDS. Fortunately, SIDS has become a rare event (less that 1 case per 2000 live births) in most developed countries. However, the risk of SIDS can still be minimized by following the reduce the risk advice.