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It’s not uncommon to find a parent standing next to their sleeping newborn’s crib in the middle of the night, a hand gently placed over the child’s chest to check on their breathing. Many new parents worry about the possibility of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the unexplained death of a child under 1 year old.
In 2020, there were an estimated 1,389 deaths of children under age 1 in the United States due to SIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Risk peaks between 1 and 4 months old, and although 90 percent of SIDS deaths occur before 6 months, the possibility is still present throughout the first year. Current research suggests there may be a link between SIDS and abnormalities in areas of the brain that control breathing and heart function, but researchers don’t fully understand why it occurs.
Although SIDS can’t always be prevented, there are steps you can take to reduce your child’s risk. Alison Niebanck, MD, a pediatrician with Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia, shares what parents can do to prevent SIDS—as well as certain risk factors that are out of our control.
Sources: Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I, et al. Sleep... + 13
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