How common is sudden infant death syndrome?

Answer 1

The last year that the CDC has a reported count of verified cases of sudden infant death syndrome is 2017. They gave the number as 1400 deaths total in the US approximately. They also listed 1300 others as death of unknown cause in infants and 900 death by suffocation. The rate of sudden infant death syndrome was 35.4 to 100,000 live births in 2017. Since the 1990's when these statistics became first available, the number of SIDS deaths have declined significantly. Risk factors that can make infants more vulnerable include: brain defects, low birth weight, respiratory infections, sleeping on the stomach or side, sleeping on a soft surface, overheating, cosleeping, exposure to secondhand smoke, and family history.