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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is also known as crib death, is an insidious and terrifying killer of infants – in part, because no one really knows what causes it.

No one really knows. For infants, SIDS is usually listed as the cause of death when no other cause can be determined and the child was otherwise healthy.

• SIDS strikes without warning. An apparently healthy infant is laid down to sleep, and when the baby is checked on, it is found to have died.
• 90% of all SIDS deaths occur to children under the age of six months, with most deaths occurring in the 2-4 month range.

Some infants suffer from sleep apnea. Often these babies are put to sleep wearing apnea monitors which sounds an alarm when the baby stops breathing. There is no known connection between apnea and SIDS and these monitors have not been shown to lower the occurrence of SIDS.

Again, this is another unknown, but there is evidence to suggest that it may be caused by a brain abnormality that causes breathing problems. This may arise naturally or in response to exposure to a toxic agent in utero, such as tobacco. Scientists also believe that this abnormality may also inhibit normal response patterns. For example, if something were to interfere with a baby's ability to breathe, such as getting a blanket on his face, most babies would wake up and cry. It is believed that this brain abnormality may cause the babies not to follow the normal response pattern and consequently they suffocate.

• Other theories suggest that infections, metabolic abnormalities, the baby's immune response, or genetics could all play a role in the occurrence of SIDS.
• The truth is, at this point the true cause of SIDS is still a mystery.

Although no one knows what causes SIDS or why an apparently healthy infant will suddenly die, evidence does suggest that some infants are at a greater risk of dying from SIDS.

However, the reason why these factors increase the risk of an infant developing SIDS is not yet known.

Known factors which increase the risks of SIDS are:

• The mother smoked during the pregnancy.
• Substance abuse by mother during pregnancy.
• Little or no prenatal care.
• Second hand smoke.
• The child becoming overheated.
• Sleeping on the stomach.
• Babies born to very young mothers are at greater risk.
• Being a boy.
• Cold weather also to a causal risk factor.
• Having a sibling who died of SIDS.
• According to the SIDS Alliance, 1/3 of all SIDS deaths occur in childcare settings.
• Preemies and multiples also are in a high risk category.