Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Human Development through the Life Span 26, 2000CONTENTSI.INTRODUCTION 4II.What is SIDS? 4III. SIDS Procedures 4-5* SIDS Annual RateIV. Risk Factors .......................................... 6V. Current Research ................................ 6-7SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 8More children die of SIDS in a year than all children who die of cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined. During the eighties, SIDS accounted for approximately 7,000 deaths, but that number dropped below 3,000 by the late nineties. Unfortunately, this decrease can only be attributed to better overall health techniques and medical practices. As of yet, the main cause of death for infants around the world is still unknown.Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as "Crib Death", is defined as the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history. SIDS occurs unexpectedly in infants one month to one year in age who seem healthy at the time. Ninety percent of deaths happen by the end of the sixth month, usually between two and four months, ninety-eight percent die before twelve months of age. A SIDS death occurs quickly with no signs of suffering and is often associated with sleep. More deaths are reported in the fall or winter, and there is a 60 percent to 40 percent male to female ratio. It is only diagnosed after all other alternatives have been eliminated; it is a diagnosis of exclusion. This sudden infant’s death leaves many unanswered questions resulting in intense grief for parents’, families, and friends.Medical personnel such as medical examiners and coroners must investigate SIDS, similar to any other sudden and unexplained death. There are three basic steps in th...
