Is SIDS still a ‘diagnosis’ in search of a disease?

Abstract

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a term used when a previously apparently well infant is found unexpectedly dead and death scene and autopsy examinations fail to reveal a cause of death. While the syndrome has characteristic epidemiological features, there are no defining markers at autopsy. This has led to it being deemed a ‘diagnosis in search of a disease’. Over recent years there has been a marked reduction in numbers of SIDS deaths in Australia and in other parts of the world, with research continuing to reveal clues as to the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. The following paper reviews issues and problems that continue to beset this enigmatic entity.

Keywords:

• sudden infant death syndrome
• SIDS
• risk factors
• diagnosis