What is the cause for SIDS?

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death of a child under one year of age that occurs while the child is sleeping. More than 90 percent of SIDS deaths happen before a child's first birthday. Most SIDS deaths occur between two and four months of age. Boys are more likely to die of SIDS than girls. Children of African descent are at higher risk of SIDS than white children. The risk of SIDS is also higher in children: • who are born prematurely or with a low birth weight • who sleep on their stomachs • who sleep in a bed with their parents • who are exposed to cigarette smoke • whose mothers took drugs or alcohol during pregnancy It is important to note that SIDS is not caused by any one thing. Rather, it is thought to be caused by a combination of factors. These factors include the child's brain development, the child's environment, and the child's health.