|
Concern
|
Facts
|
| Cause | Unknown (possibly related to delayed maturation of cardiorespiratory system) |
| Incidence | Fewer than 3500 cases annually; leading cause of death between ages 1 mo and 1 yr |
| When | Occurs during
sleep
(nap, night) |
| Age | Peak at 2-4 mo; 95% of cases occur by age
6 mo |
| Sex | More common in boys |
| Race | More common in African Americans and Native Americans |
| Season | More common in
winter,
peaks in January |
| Siblings | May have greater incidence |
| Perinatal | More common in preterm infants, in
multiple
births, and in infants with
low Apgar scores
|
| Socioeconomic | More common in lower socioeconomic classes
|
| Feeding habits | More common in bottle-fed infants; less common in breast-fed infants. |
| Means of prevention | Supine (on back) sleeping position prevention (mnemonic: “back to sleep”) |