Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Safe Sleep Practices
Abstract
Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is the primary cause of post-neonatal mortality. SUID disproportionately affects preterm infants and infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). NICU providers are charged with ensuring the implementation of safe sleep practices and caregiver education while balancing other acute medical needs. The persistent lack of improvement in sleep-related infant deaths and the release of updated recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have reinvigorated institutional and public health efforts to reduce SUID. In this review, we will discuss the nomenclature, epidemiology (including racial and ethnic disparities in SUID), and pathophysiology of sleep-related infant deaths. Finally, we will review the updated AAP recommendations on safe sleep and early transition to safe sleep in the NICU.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
Neonatal Respiratory Health Research
Neonatal and fetal brain pathology
Publication details
- Journal / source
- NeoReviews
- Publisher
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- e1–e10
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN