The lowest rates (<0.2/1000) are in Japan and the Netherlands. The largest decrease in SIDS rates from baseline, which for most countries was before risk reduction campaigns began in the early 1990s, occurred by 2000.
Year after the year, Japan is one of the countries with one of the lowest infant mortality rates. There are a few reasons why this may be: They have lower rates of maternal smoking and alcohol consumption — and research has shown that both maternal smoking and prenatal drinking increase a child's SIDS risk.
South Asian infant care practices were more likely to protect infants from the most important SIDS risks such as smoking, alcohol consumption, sofa-sharing and solitary sleep.
Both the incidence of SIDS and SUDI have declined in developed countries since the 1980s, as in the Netherlands, when the advice was given to place infants to sleep in the supine position (5, 6). Between 2002 and 2010, low incidence rates were found in the Netherlands (0.19 per 1,000 live births) (3).
The incidence of SIDS has been more than halved in recent years due to public health campaigns addressing the known major risk factors of prone sleeping, maternal smoking and overheating.
Infants (children under 1 year) had the highest rate of death in all jurisdictions in 2020, accounting for 59% of all child deaths in Australia. Rates of infant deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and undetermined causes ranged between 0.16 and 0.52 per 1,000 live births.
The key risk factors associated with SUDI in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants are: low birthweight. premature birth. maternal nutrition during pregnancy.
However, despite improvements in these four risk-related behaviours, cot death mortality again appears to be rising in New Zealand. It is suggested here that this is because the root causes of cot death in New Zealand are widespread soil and associated dietary deficiencies in selenium and iodine.
SUID rates per 100,000 live births were highest among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native (213.5), non-Hispanic Black infants (191.4), and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander infants (164.5).
While the cause of SIDS is unknown, many clinicians and researchers believe that SIDS is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide.
Babies who sleep in their own room since birth or who sleep in the same bed as their parents are known to have a higher incidence of SIDS. That said, it is to be noted that SIDS is less common amongst South Asian babies where it is a common practice for babies to sleep in the same bed as their parents.
Put your baby to sleep alone in a crib, bassinet or playpen
However, don't have your baby sleep with you in your bed. “Placing a baby in bed with a parent (as opposed to within a safe sleep environment, like a crib or bassinet) increases their risk of SIDS tenfold,” Dr. Felman said.
Research suggests that the prevalence of SIDS risk factors is higher in the Indigenous population, including maternal and passive smoking, co-sleeping and prone sleeping position.
The highest SIDS rates in 1990 (>2.0/1000 live births) were in Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland. More recently, the highest SIDS rates (>0.5/1000 live births) are in New Zealand and the United States. The lowest rates (<0.2/1000) are in Japan and the Netherlands.
Because of the risks involved, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warn against bed-sharing. The AAP does recommend the practice of room-sharing without bed-sharing. Sleeping in the parents' room but on a separate surface lowers a baby's risk of SIDS.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) rates have declined significantly in the United States (US) as a result of the “Back to Sleep” campaign. Despite this and many state and local risk reduction campaigns, rates still remain high in the African American and American Indian/Alaska Native populations.
Inherent gender differences have been identified in the medullae of SIDS victims, including increased apoptotic neuronal cell death and decreased 5-HT1A receptor binding in male infants that may lead to altered arousal pathways and increased vulnerability to SIDS.
SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS seem healthy before being put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed.
SIDS is less common after 8 months of age, but parents and caregivers should continue to follow safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death until baby's first birthday. More than 90% of all SIDS deaths occur before 6 months of age.
During wintry months, you may be tempted to wrap your baby in extra blankets and warm clothes before sleep. But take care. Over-bundling may cause infants to overheat, increasing their risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)—the third leading cause of infant death.
In post-mortem investigations, evidence of suffocation is not found in most babies who die of SIDS. SIDS may be associated with the brain's ability to control breathing and arousal from sleep, low birth weight or respiratory infection.
In one study, 80% of infants introduced to white noise fell asleep faster than those who fell asleep without it. Scholars believe that sleep aids, like white noise machines, can help infants experience more prolonged periods of deep sleep, reducing the risk of SIDS.
Injuries are the leading cause of death in Australian children, accounting for nearly half of all deaths. One in 13 children visit hospitals for injuries and emergencies every year.
Who Is at Risk for SIDS? Most SIDS deaths happen in babies between 1 and 4 months old, and cases rise during cold weather. Babies might have a higher risk of SIDS if: their mother smoked, drank, or used drugs during pregnancy and after birth.