[Sudden infant death syndrome--sudden and unexpected pediatric death]

Sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS] is the most common cause of death between the ages of one month and one year, affecting one to three infants of 1000 life births. SIDS is defined as a sudden death of an infant under one year of age, which remains unexplained even after performance of a complete postmortem examination, examination of the death scene and review of the case history. SIDS is unexpected, so parents have not had the opportunity to prepare for the death. Because SIDS remains unexplained, SIDS parents blame themselves for the death. For most families of SIDS victims, the best resource for help and support is a SIDS parent support group. Finally, risk factors and possible preventive measures are discussed.