ABSTRACT
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or crib death, is characterized by the sudden, unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant who is less than 1 year of age, in which an examination of the scene of death, a review of the clinical history and a complete postmortem examination fail to reveal a cause of death. SIDS accounts for approximately 3-4000 deaths per year in the U.S. The national incidence has been dropping over the last decade. In 1992, the incidence of SIDS was 1.2 per 1000 live births. By 1996, it had declined to 0.74 per 1000 (a drop of 38%) and appeared to still be dropping.
