Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Global Public Health Issue and Nursing’s Response

ABSTRACT

Sudden unexplained death in infancy, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is a global public health challenge. Despite public health campaigns and efforts, SIDS remains the leading cause of postneonatal mortality in many developed countries. In this article, we review SIDS, describe nursing’s unique professional position in addressing this problem, and explore how the principles of social justice can inform nursing’s response. Motivated by nursing’s ethical and moral obligations, the profession is called to take an active role in educating others regarding this phenomenon, to participate in research, and to develop or advocate for policy that aims to reduce the incidence of SIDS on an international scale.

KEYWORDS:

• Nursing
• safe sleep behavior
• social justice
• sudden infant death syndrome

Acknowledgment

The authors wish to acknowledge Dr. Lorraine Walker, the Luci B. Johnson Centennial Professor in Nursing, for her constructive comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

Declaration of Interest Statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.