Also called: Crib death · SIDS
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant younger than one year old. Some people call SIDS "crib death" because many babies who die of SIDS are found in their cribs.
SIDS is the leading cause of death in children between one month and one year old. Most SIDS deaths occur when babies are between one month and four months old. Premature babies, boys, African Americans, and American Indian/Alaska Native infants have a higher risk of SIDS.
Although the cause of SIDS is unknown, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk. These include:
- Placing your baby on his or her back to sleep, even for short naps. "Tummy time" is for when babies are awake and someone is watching
- Having your baby sleep in your room for at least the first six months. Your baby should sleep close to you, but on a separate surface designed for infants, such as a crib or bassinet.
- Using a firm sleep surface, such as a crib mattress covered with a fitted sheet
- Keeping soft objects and loose bedding away from your baby's sleep area
- Breastfeeding your baby
- Making sure that your baby doesn't get too hot. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature for an adult.
- Not smoking during pregnancy or allowing anyone to smoke near your baby
It sits within Children and Teenagers.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
80 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Improving Pediatrician Counseling About Infant Safe Sleep Using the Electronic Medical RecordJohns Hopkins University
- Incorporation of Safe Sleep Education Into m-Health TechnologyJohns Hopkins University
- Identification of Genetic Variants Associated With Unexpected Infant Death SyndromeNantes University Hospital
- An Extension Study of the Long-Term Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Tividenofusp Alfa (DNL310) in Participants With Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II (MPS II) From Study DNLI-E-0002 or Study DNLI-E-0007Denali Therapeutics Inc.
- RGX-121-3102 Gene Therapy in Participants With MPS II (Hunter Syndrome)REGENXBIO Inc.
- Social Media and Risk-reduction Training for Preterm Infant Care PracticesUniversity of Massachusetts, Worcester
Research already completed
- Social Media and Risk Reduction Teaching-Enhanced ReachBoston University
- An Extension Study to Assess the Long-term Safety and Efficacy of Hunterase (Idursulfase Beta)GC Biopharma Corp
- An Extension Study of HGT-HIT-045 Evaluating Long-Term Safety and Clinical Outcomes of Idursulfase-IT in Conjunction With Elaprase in Pediatric Participants With Hunter Syndrome and Cognitive ImpairmentTakeda
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- What Is SIDS?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Back to Sleep, Tummy to PlayAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- Providing Care for Babies to Sleep SafelyCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Safe Sleep for Baby: Reducing the Risk of SIDSNational Institutes of Health
- Safe Sleep for Your Baby: Reduce the Risk of SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Causes of Infant DeathEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Ways to Reduce Baby's RiskEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Related Issues
- How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby SafeAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- Infant MortalityCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Tummy Time for a Healthy BabyEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Genetics
- Sudden infant death with dysgenesis of the testes syndrome: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Statistics and Research
- Helping Babies Sleep SafelyCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Sudden Infant DeathNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Sudden Infant Death. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.