The SIDS Program focuses on providing education about SIDS, grief counseling, and what can be done to reduce the risk of SIDS, such as placing babies on their back to sleep.

What is SIDS?

In the United States, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death for infants from one month to one year of age. SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, requires a complete autopsy, thorough examination and investigation of the death scene and review of the clinical history of the family and infant. Most deaths occur between two to four months. There is no way to predict when SIDS will happen. Researchers now know that certain factors can be changed or controlled while a mother is pregnant and in the early months after the baby is born that can lower a baby's risk of dying of SIDS. Examples of ways to reduce SIDS are to place babies on their backs to sleep, avoid exposure to overheating and tobacco smoke.

What is SUID?

SUID is the sudden and unexpected death of an infant in which the manner and cause of death are not immediately obvious prior to investigation. How are SUID and SIDS different? Learn more about SUID and how investigations are conducted and SUID is diagnosed.