Sudden infant death syndrome

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexpected death of a child under one year of age and normally beyond the perinatal period, which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation (consisting of a complete autopsy, analysis of the circumstances of death and the previous clinical history).

According to Inserm, in France, the infant mortality rate in 2000 was :

• 451 per 100,000 for children 0 to 1 year old ;
• 25.1 per 100,000 for children aged 1 to 4 years;
• 12.6 per 100,000 for children aged 5 to 9 years; 
• 16 for those aged 10 to 14. 

• 1st cause of death in France for babies under one year old
• 350 cases in France in 2019

• The maximum risk period is between 2 and 4 months.
• 8 out of 10 cases of sudden death occur before 6 months

• Male baby: sex ratio 1.6
• Number of pregnancies of the mother raised
• Low birth weight

Young, unmarried mothers with unemployed partners are at greater risk.

The sleeping position with the highest risk of sudden death is prone, followed by side lying. Lying on the back is the least risky position.

Be careful, however, not to position your baby on his back all the time in order to avoid a flattening of his skull. When your baby is awake and under supervision, place him on his stomach or on his side.

Smoking and pregnancy: the risk of SIDS is greater if the mother smoked during pregnancy, and the risk is proportional to the amount smoked.

Infant exposure to tobacco smoke increases the risk of sudden death.

The bed and its accessories:

• The use of blankets, comforters, but also the wearing of caps, etc. increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. It is advisable to use a sleeping bag.
• Bedpans also increase the risk of sudden death
• Do not put pillows, stuffed animals, comforters or other objects in your child's bed.

• A high temperature in the infant's sleeping room increases the risk.
• Having your child sleep alone in his room increases the risk of sudden death. Sharing the parent's room with the baby reduces this risk. 
• Bed-sharing: having the baby sleep in the parents' bed increases the risk of sudden death in cases where the parents are smokers, have consumed alcohol or drugs, or are tired.

Li et al. showed in a two-group study: one group of 185 SIDS cases and another group of 185 healthy cases. They observed that the pacifier decreased the risk of SIDS by 90%. This study needs to be complemented by others, especially on a wider range of cases.

Having your baby sleep in the parents' room right next to the bed for the first 6 months reduces the risk of sudden death. Sharing the bed increases the risk.

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Many devices now exist that take into account the child's breathing rhythm. If the child is not breathing, an alarm is triggered.

To date, studies show no correlation between prolonged apnea and SIDS. Furthermore, the rate of SIDS is identical in children who use and do not use this type of monitoring...