sudden infant death syndrome

sudden infant death syndrome The sudden and unexpected death of a baby with no known illness, typically affecting sleeping infants between the ages of 2 weeks and 6 months. Abbreviated SIDS. Infants whose mothers used heroin, methadone, or cocaine during pregnancy; infants born weighing less than 2,000 grams (4.4 pounds); babies with an abnormal breathing pattern that includes long periods without taking a breath (apnea); and babies who sleep on their stomachs are at elevated risk for SIDS. Because babies who sleep on their stomachs are at least three times more likely to die of SIDS than babies who sleep on their backs, children’s health authorities recommend always placing infants on their backs to sleep. Sometimes referred to as crib death.