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How SIDS is diagnosed
SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion, being made only after all alternatives have been eliminated.
The cause of death is determined only after a thorough investigation, which includes an autopsy,
death scene investigation and a comprehensive history of the infant and family.
Separating fact from fiction
There are many fallacies and old wives’ tales surrounding SIDS.
SIDS is not:
• Caused by vomiting or choking
• Caused by minor illnesses, such as colds or infection
• Apnea
• Contagious
• Caused by immunizations
• Caused by suffocation
• Hereditary
• The result of child abuse
Also, beware of products on the market that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS. These products, including
special crib mattresses with built-in ventilation systems, are supposed to reduce the chance of SIDS by
promoting carbon dispersal and reducing rebreathing. There is no data to support the use of these products.
Sleep monitors, which sound an alarm if the baby stops breathing, are also unnecessary. Research has not
shown them to be effective at preventing SIDS. The National Institutes of Health don’t recommend sleep
monitors for otherwise healthy infants. Your doctor may recommend one, though, if your baby has already
had one or more severe episodes during which they stopped breathing and required resuscitation, premature
infants with apnea, and siblings of two or more SIDS infants.
It’s important to understand that SIDS is nobody’s fault. SIDS cannot be prevented,
predicted or reversed.
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