sudden infant death syndrome

noun

: death of an apparently healthy infant usually before one year of age that is of unknown cause and occurs especially during sleep

—abbreviation SIDS

called also crib death

Examples of sudden infant death syndrome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Think coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and adverse reproductive health effects in women, as well as sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory infections, ear infections and asthma attacks in children. —Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2025

The team conducted tentpole research on the unexpected infant deaths previously known as SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome. —Emily Baker-White, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025

Once Musk became a father for the first time in 2002, when Justine welcomed their son Nevada Alexander, who died at 10 weeks old of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). —Nicholas Rice, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025

Spectrum: Are infant wearable companies like Owlet capitalizing on parents’ fear of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which is still pretty mysterious? —IEEE Spectrum, 10 Feb. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sudden infant death syndrome

• acrosome
• aerodrome
• catacomb
• centrosome
• chromosome
• cytochrome
• hippodrome
• honeycomb
• liposome
• meerschaum
• metronome
• microtome

Medical Definition

sudden infant death syndrome

noun

: death of an apparently healthy infant usually before one year of age that is of unknown cause and occurs especially during sleep

—abbreviation SIDS

called also cot death, crib death