Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Overview

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death of a baby during the first 12 months of its life. Risk factors include, among others, sleeping on the stomach, parents who smoke, overheating and a too soft mattress.

Causes and treatment

Causes

The causes are mostly unclear, but some risk factors have been identified:

• Sleeping on the stomach
• Parents who smoke
• Child is too warm while sleeping
• The mattress is too soft, too many soft toys (can obstruct breathing)
• Sleeping in the same bed as the parents
  

Sudden infant death (cot death) is always diagnosed by a process of elimination: only when all other possible causes have been ruled out can cot death be diagnosed.

What can I do myself?

The following measures can help minimise the risk of sudden infant death:

• Place babies on their back to sleep
• Use a firm mattress
• Let babies sleeping in their own bed (rather than the parents’)
• Smoke-free environment (already during pregnancy)
• Do not let babies get too hot
  • Bedroom temperature of 18 degrees
    
  • Do not use blankets that are too warm
  • Do not cover the baby's head while sleeping
  • Do not use lambskin padding etc. in the bed
    

Further information

SIDS Switzerland
www.sids.ch

Synonyms

cot death, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS, sudden infant death