SIDS classifications: issues and update

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is defined as ‘the sudden unexpected of an <1 year age, with onset the fatal episode apparently occurring during sleep, that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation, including performance complete autopsy and review circumstances clinical history’. Despite lacking pathognomonic markers, recognition triple risk model factors have saved many lives. this success, use if standard SIDS definitions has declined in favour ‘undetermined’ or ‘unascertained’. There been 12% fall number peer-reviewed papers on Pubmed correctly cited (56% compared to 68% 2012). Almost two thirds studies between 2019–2021 having no non-standard definitions. Evaluation rates South Australia over 1994–98 2014–18 shown marked decline cases (55vs12). However, accompanied by corresponding increase numbers (5vs18) without significant changes when groups were merged (60/80vs30/56; p=0.26). It appears failure changing diagnostic practices may markedly influenced recent apparent mortality.