Relationship between epidemiologic risk factors and clinicopathologic findings in the sudden infant death syndrome

The risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is said to be enhanced by factors such as prematurity, low birth weight, and perinatal distress. The significance of risk factors for SIDS research was questioned because the majority of SIDS victims seem to lack them. Therefore, postmortem records of 1144 infants who died suddenly and unexpectedly in King County, Washington, over a 25-year period were studied. Deaths were classified as «explained» if a cause was apparent, «classic» SIDS if the history and autopsy were unrevealing or, where the diagnosis of SIDS was doubtful, as «probable» or «possible» SIDS