Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Moving Forward

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is defined as the sudden unexpected death of an infant less than 1 year old (SUDI), that remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation i.e., review of the clinical history, examination of the death scene, and autopsy. A comprehensive model for SIDS is commonly accepted: the death will result from the combination of three factors: a critical developmental period, an exogenous stressor, and underlying genetic and/or non-genetic vulnerability. A prone sleeping position was identified as a major risk factor of SIDS in the 1990’s and risk reduction campaigns advocating a supine sleep position for infants have greatly decreased the incidence of SIDS. Despite these efforts, parental risk-reduction practices regarding SIDS are far from optimal in many countries and the incidence of SIDS has plateaued and remains the first cause of post-neonatal death. More recently, other risk factors have been identified as sleep environment or intrinsic vulnerabilities-related factors. 

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is not a fatality, and this edition is the opportunity to make a new assessment on this topic and to share new approaches in its understanding and mainly its prevention.

The current challenges regarding SIDS/SUDI are related to

- a better picture of the parental risk reduction practices and knowledges regarding SIDS

- the identification and characterization of new environment related factors

- a better understanding of the pathophysiology and intrinsic vulnerabilities related factors

This research topic will welcome contributions related to either of these challenges.