Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): Symptoms
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Symptoms
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS:
- Cannot be revived (resuscitated).
- Seem healthy before being put to bed.
- Show no signs of having struggled. The baby is often found in the same position as when he or she was put to bed.
Very few babies who die of SIDS may have had one or more apparent life-threatening events (ALTE).2 During ALTE, a baby has abnormally long pauses in breathing (longer than 20 seconds). The skin changes color (bluish and blotchy) or becomes pale, and the body stiffens and then goes limp. The baby may also choke or gag. Machines (apnea monitors) that are commonly used to detect these periods of interrupted breathing have not been shown to prevent SIDS.
| Last updated: | September 15, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Reviewed By: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Donald Sproule, MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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