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What is SIDS? | Safe to Sleep庐
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tablet:margin-top-2"> <aside class="tablet:grid-col-3"> <div class="region region-sidebar-first display-none tablet:display-block"> <ul class="usa-sidenav"> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/about" class="menu-0 usa-current"> <span>About Safe Sleep for Babies</span> </a> <ul class="usa-sidenav__sublist"> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/about/sids-definition" class="menu-1 usa-current"> <span>What Is SIDS?</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/about/other-sleep-related-deaths" class="menu-1 "> <span>What Are Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths?</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/about/causes" class="menu-1 "> <span>What Causes SIDS?</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/about/risk-factors" class="menu-1 "> <span>What Are the Known Risk Factors?</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/about/terms" class="menu-1 "> <span>Definitions & Terms</span> </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/about/by-the-numbers" class="menu-1 "> <span>By the Numbers</span> </a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </aside> <div class="region-content tablet:grid-col-9"> <!-- googleon: index --> <div class="region region-content"> <h1 class="uswds-page-title page-title"> <span class="field field--name-title"> What is SIDS? </span> </h1> <div id="block-uswds-sts-content" class="block block-system block-system-main-block"> <article data-history-node-id="140"> <div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div style="display:inline-block;"><p><img class="body-image-wrapped" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/MotherandBaby_6_1600x900.jpg" alt="A mother and baby room sharing. Baby is sleeping on their back in their own sleep space, in the same room as the parents, next to the adult bed. The mother reaches toward the baby, who is close enough to comfort but not in the bed." width="1600" height="900" loading="lazy"></p><p>Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the term used to describe the sudden death of a baby younger than 1 year of age that doesn鈥檛 have a known cause, even after a full investigation.</p><p>Healthcare providers, law enforcement, and others investigate infant deaths to figure out what caused them. This investigation includes a complete autopsy, examining the death scene, and reviewing the clinical history. If they cannot determine a cause of death for the baby or explain why the baby died, the medical examiner or coroner may categorize the death as SIDS.</p></div><div class="text-callout margin-bottom-4"><a href="/reduce-risk/reduce">Learn how to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths.</a></div><h2>What causes SIDS?</h2><p>Researchers do not know exactly what causes SIDS. However, they do have an informed idea, or theory, that may explain how SIDS happens. It鈥檚 called the Triple-Risk Model.</p><div class="text-callout margin-bottom-4"><a href="/about/causes#framework">Learn more about the Triple-Risk Model.</a></div><h2>If a baby dies suddenly or unexpectedly during sleep, is it always SIDS?</h2><p>No. SIDS is not the cause of every sudden or unexpected death of a baby during sleep.</p><p>The death of a baby that is sudden and unexpected and that doesn鈥檛 have an obvious cause before an investigation is called a Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). SUID is an umbrella category that includes all sudden, unexpected infant deaths鈥攖hose from known causes, such as an injury or accident, and those from unknown causes, such as SIDS. SIDS is one type of SUID that occurs during sleep.</p><p>A baby can die during sleep from causes other than SIDS. Sleep itself does not cause SIDS or other sleep-related deaths.</p><div class="text-callout margin-bottom-4"><a href="/about/other-sleep-related-infant-deaths">Learn more about other sleep-related infant deaths.</a></div><h2>How common is SIDS?</h2><p>About 3,000 SUIDs occur in the United States every year. Of those, more than 1 in 3 are from SIDS.<a href="#f1"><sup>1</sup></a> Learn more about SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths data and statistics.</p><div class="text-callout margin-bottom-4"><a href="/about/by-the-numbers">Get data and statistics about infant deaths.</a></div><div data-langcode="en" data-entity-type="nichd_citations" data-entity-uuid="b8fb5d1a-3eb5-4628-9434-a9d258b42c03" data-embed-button="nichd_citations_embed_btn" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:nichd_citations.citations" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <div class="nichd_citations usa-accordion margin-top-2"> <h2 class="usa-accordion__heading"> <button class="usa-accordion__button" aria-expanded="true" aria-controls="citation-id-6"> Citations </button> </h2> <div id="citation-id-6" class="usa-accordion__content usa-prose citation"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><ol><li><a name="f1"></a>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Data and Statistics for SUID and SIDS. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sudden-infant-death/data-research/data/" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/sudden-infant-death/data-research/data/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/sids/data.htm</a></li></ol></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> <!-- googleoff: index --> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer class="usa-footer usa-footer--big" role="contentinfo"> <div class="usa-footer__return-to-top"> <a href="#" class="uswds-sts-button button-dark"> <svg class="usa-icon" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img"> <use xlink:href="/themes/custom/uswds_sts/assets/img/sprite.svg#arrow_upward"></use> </svg> To top </a> </div> <div class="footer-top"> <div class="usa-footer__primary-section"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-row grid-gap"> <div class="grid-col-12 mobile-lg:grid-col-9 mobile-lg:margin-bottom-2"> <h2 class="margin-top-3 margin-bottom-0">Stay in touch with the Safe to Sleep<sup>®</sup> 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