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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffA combination of physical and sleep environmental factors can make an infant more vulnerable to SIDS. These factors may vary from child to child.
Physical factors
Physical factors associated with SIDS include:
- Brain abnormalities. Some infants are born with problems that make them more likely to die of SIDS. In many of these babies, the portion of the brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep doesn't work properly.
- Low birth weight. Premature birth or being part of a multiple birth increases the likelihood that a baby's brain hasn't matured completely, so he or she has less reliable control over such automatic processes as breathing and heart rate.
- Respiratory infection. Many infants who have died of SIDS have recently experienced a cold, which may contribute to breathing problems.
Sleep environmental factors
The items in a baby's crib and his or her sleeping position can combine with a baby's physical problems to increase the risk of SIDS. Examples include:
- Sleeping on the stomach or side. Babies who are placed on their stomachs or sides to sleep may have more difficulty breathing than those placed on their backs.
- Sleeping on a soft surface. Lying face down on a fluffy comforter or a waterbed can block an infant's airway. Draping a blanket over a baby's head is also risky.
- Sleeping with parents. While the risk of SIDS is lowered if an infant sleeps in the same room as his or her parents, the risk increases if the baby sleeps in the same bed — partly because there are more soft surfaces to impair breathing.
References
- Hunt CE, et al. Sudden infant death syndrome. In: Kliegman RM. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1608/0.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
- Corwin MJ. Sudden infant death syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
- Maitra A. Sudden infant death syndrome. In: Kumar V, et al. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, Professional Edition. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0792-2..50015-8--cesec51&isbn=978-1-4377-0792-2&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0792-2..50015-8--cesec55&uniqId=238364706-3. Accessed April 1, 2011.
- Moon RY, et al. SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths: Expansion of recommendations for a safe infant sleep environment. Pediatrics. 2011;128:1030. www.pediatrics.org/cgi/doi/10.1542/peds.2011-2284. Accessed Oct. 18, 2011.
- Hauck FR, et al. Breastfeeding and reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics.2011;128:103.
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