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

Their youngest, Scott, died of sudden infant death syndrome aged two months.

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025

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

Rachel Moon: It stands for sudden infant death syndrome, and it is a term that describes when babies die suddenly and unexpectedly.

From Salon • Dec. 11, 2022

Paranoia, when you’re a parent, is everywhere, adds Wu, recalling how she Googled about sleep training when she had her baby — and got a hit about sudden infant death syndrome.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2022

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

From Seattle Times • May 18, 2022