SIDS classifications: issues and update

Abstract

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is defined as ‘the sudden unexpected death of an infant <1 year of age, with onset of the fatal episode apparently occurring during sleep, that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy and review of the circumstances of death and the clinical history’. Despite lacking pathognomonic markers, the recognition of the triple risk model and risk factors have saved many infant lives. Despite this success, use if standard SIDS definitions has declined in favour of ‘undetermined’ or ‘unascertained’.