Thought you all might be interested in this.:0  Cathy Liles


CDC Prevention Guidelines

Topic: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Guidelines for Death Scene Investigation of Sudden, Unexplained Infant Deaths:
Recommendations of the Interagency Panel on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome;
1996:06:21
>Guidelines for Death Scene Investigation of
Sudden, Unexplained Infant Deaths:
Recommendations of the Interagency
Panel on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

MMWR 45(RR-10);1-6

Publication date: 06/21/1996
Although the etiology and pathogenesis of SIDS are unknown, increased risk
for SIDS is
associated with many maternal characteristics, infant characteristics, and
environmental factors
(12). The most consistently reported and potentially modifiable risk factors
are lack of
breast-feeding (11,13), exposure to tobacco smoke in utero (12 15) or during
infancy (13,15),
and the infant sleeping prone (12,16 18). Other factors associated with SIDS
include male sex,
low maternal education, young maternal age, high parity, the mother being
unmarried, and late or
no prenatal care (12). Some researchers have suggested that SIDS has
multiple etiologies and that
predisposing biochemical, anatomic, or developmental abnormalities may
increase the risk of SIDS
for infants (1).