sudden infant death syndrome

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. death from the sudden cessation of breathing (apnea) of a seemingly healthy infant, almost always during sleep, sometimes traceable to a chronic oxygen deficiency. SIDS

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sudden infant death syndrome British  

noun

1.  SIDS.  a technical term for cot death

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sudden infant death syndrome Scientific  

/ sŭd′n /

1. A fatal condition that affects sleeping infants that are less than one year old and appear to be healthy. It is characterized by a sudden cessation of breathing and is thought to be caused by a defect in the central nervous system.

2. Also called crib death SIDS

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sudden infant death syndrome Cultural  

1. Also called crib death, the deaths of sleeping infants less than a year old for unexplained reasons.

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Etymology

Origin of sudden infant death syndrome

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sudden infant death syndrome

Overheating can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, with parents advised to keep rooms between 16 and 20C.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

They had begun by studying SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, and had theorized that it might be caused by the infants literally being unable to breathe while they slept.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2023

The high incidence of low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome in such communities was a focus of the program.

From New York Times ● Jul. 23, 2023

By 2000, babies dying from sudden infant death syndrome dropped across the U.S. by almost half to 62 in every 1,000 live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2023

The other two deaths were recorded as sudden infant death syndrome.

From Seattle Times ● May 18, 2022