Cot Death News and Research

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Cot death or crib death is sudden and unexpected death of a baby within 1 year of age. In most cases the reasons for death after a post-mortem examination remain unexplained and the death may be registered as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sudden infant death, or sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUID).

Maternity Disparities Taskforce focuses on supporting women’s health before and during pregnancy

Minister for Women's Health Minister Maria Caulfield and Chief Midwifery Officer Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent co-chaired the second meeting of the Maternity Disparities Taskforce this week (Monday 16 May 2022).

18 May 2022

Mothers who smoke, drink alcohol during pregnancy increase risk for SIDS 12-fold

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also called crib death or cot death, is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant less than one-year-old. There is no exact known cause of SIDS, but a recent study shows that mothers who smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol during pregnancy may have babies with a 12-fold increased risk of SIDS.

20 Jan 2020

Turtle study offers insight into where and how movements are actually generated

With a study of the network between nerve and muscle cells in turtles, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have gained new insight into the way in which movements are generated and maintained.

19 Sep 2019

Study identifies potential genetic link in sudden infant death syndrome

Rare genetic mutations associated with impairment of the breathing muscles are more common in children who have died from sudden infant death syndrome (also known as ‘cot death’) than in healthy controls, suggesting a possible genetic element of the disorder, according to a case-control study in the UK and USA published in The Lancet.

29 Mar 2018

Genetic links to cot deaths found in new research

Cot death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a rare but unexplained and tragic occurrence where babies between ages two and four months who are apparently healthy die unexpectedly during sleep. SIDS is responsible for around 300 and 2400 deaths in the United Kingdom and United States of America yearly. Researchers have now found a genetic link that could explain the occurrence and risk of such incidents. The study appeared in the latest issues of the journal Lancet.

29 Mar 2018

Younger siblings of SIDS victims have four-fold increased risk of sudden death

Siblings of cot death victims have a four-fold higher risk of cot death, according to research presented today at EHRA 2018, a European Society of Cardiology congress.

19 Mar 2018

Report reveals differences in non-Hispanic black and white infant mortality rates in the US

The jama Pediatrics recently published new research on non-Hispanic black and white infants, the report analyzed the trends in overall and cause-specific infant mortality rates in the US population. According to a 2017 report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US infant mortality rates in the past 10 years have decreased by 15%.

4 Jul 2017

Preventing sudden unexpected deaths of babies and children: an interview with Professor Peter Fleming

SIDS is the sudden and unexpected death of a baby, which usually occurs during sleep. The great majority of the babies are aged between about two weeks and seven or eight months.

18 Jul 2016

Scientists use novel brainstem model to determine how the brain controls breathing

Scientists from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, have discovered how the brain controls our breathing in response to changing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood.

5 Jul 2016

Educating parents on healthy infant sleep-related behaviors may help prevent childhood obesity

Teaching parents bedtime techniques to encourage healthy sleep habits in their infants may help prevent obesity, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. Strong links exist between inadequate sleep and childhood obesity.

29 Jun 2016

Health professionals should make parents aware of SIDS risk factors

New research indicates parents want paediatricians to give them detailed information about their child's death.

23 May 2016

Study links infant swaddling for sleep with SIDS risk

The risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) appears to increase when infants are swaddled while sleeping on their stomachs or sides, new research has found.

10 May 2016

Many teenage mothers do not follow safe sleeping practices for preventing SIDS

Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), which includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is the leading cause of death in infants 1 month to 1 year of age in the United States. Although the reason is unknown, maternal age less than 20 years is associated with an increased risk of SIDS. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that although teenage mothers know the recommendations in regards to safe sleeping practices, many deliberately do not follow those recommendations.

21 Apr 2016

OASIS study to investigate link between SIDS and alteration on newborn hearing screen test

Seattle Children's is partnering on the launch of a study called the 'Oto-Acoustic Signals in SIDS'study that will investigate a possible association between Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and hearing alteration on the newborn hearing screen test.

19 Apr 2016

New Lullaby Trust-funded study could prevent sudden, unexpected deaths of babies and children

An innovative new study funded by The Lullaby Trust is being launched, which could have profound implications for preventing the sudden and unexpected deaths of babies and children.

19 Apr 2016

Providence Health System earns Baby-Friendly designation

Providence Health System, the longest continually serving hospital in Washington, D.C. – and a part of Ascension, the nation's largest Catholic and non-profit health system – announced today its designation as a Baby-Friendly hospital.

17 Feb 2016

Babies should sleep in their own beds during first three months to reduce risk of SIDS

The advice given to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, SIDS, has worked well, but the potential to save more lives exists. In addition to sleeping on their backs, infants should sleep in their own beds for the first few months to reduce the risk of sudden infant death. A new doctoral thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg has explored these issues.

15 Feb 2016

Pre-pregnancy obesity strongly linked to infant mortality

Pre-pregnancy obesity is strongly associated with infant mortality, and compliance with weight-gain guidelines during pregnancy has a limited impact on that mortality risk, a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers shows.

21 Jan 2016

Pulmonary neuroendocrine cells act like sensor to orchestrate immune response

An uncommon and little-studied type of cell in the lungs has been found to act like a sensor, linking the pulmonary and central nervous systems to regulate immune response in reaction to environmental cues.

13 Jan 2016

Epilepsy deaths should be considered a public health priority, say doctors

Epilepsy is not a public health priority, yet it takes more lives than sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or fires, according to an article reviewing the topic. Doctors say epilepsy deaths should be a focus of research and education to understand and prevent those deaths, according to the "Views and Reviews" article published in the December 16, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Dec 2015