Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
(SIDS) is an unexplained death usually during during sleep of an
otherwise healthy baby under a year old. SIDS is a subcategory
of SUID, which stands for Sudden Unexpected Infant Death. Other
subcategories of SUID include hypothermia or hyperthermia,
metabolic diseases or accidental suffocation. If an infant death
is investigated and reported, and no explanation is found, it is
classified as SIDS. Here are the facts about SIDS: - It is the
leading cause of death in children between the ages of one month
and one year. - The current official total of deaths
specifically attributed to SIDS was 2,327 in 2006, yet the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that as
many as 1,164 additional seemingly healthy babies under a year
will also die unexpectedly . - The deaths peak between the ages
of 2 and 4 months. - Ninety percent occur before 6 months of
age. - The condition hits boys more than girls, particularly
Native American and African