SIDS Resources

Links to websites of groups that study and provide information about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and infant loss.

Safe to Sleep^® Campaign (formerly the Back to Sleep campaign)
This collaborative education campaign aims to raise awareness about SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death, such as accidental suffocation, and to explain ways to reduce the risks of these outcomes to parents, caregivers, and health care providers. The campaign website includes:
March of Dimes
The March of Dimes provides education and information to promote healthy, full-term pregnancies and families and supports research on problems that threaten the health of infants.
- Sudden infant death syndrome
American Academy of Pediatrics—HealthyChildren.org
This website from the American Academy of Pediatrics provides information for parents and caregivers, including conditions and stages of development and safety tips.
- Reduce the Risk of SIDS
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
The CPSC, which regulates the safety of consumer products and is a collaborator in the NICHD-led Safe to Sleep^® campaign, features product recall information and research and statistics on its site as well as safety education for consumers.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA provides information for consumers on the use of baby products to prevent SIDS.
National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health, Georgetown University: SUID/SIDS Gateway
The National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health includes information, services, materials, and technical assistance to those affected by a SUID/SIDS.
First Candle
First Candle, one of NICHD's collaborators in safe sleep outreach, is a national nonprofit health organization uniting parents, caregivers, and researchers with government, business, and community service groups to advance infant health and survival.
- Bereavement Support: First Candle has bilingual crisis counselors available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call toll free at (800) 221-7437.
- For Grieving Families

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.

NICHD Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch
The NICHD Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch seeks to improve the health of mothers and children with a focus on maternal health, pregnancy, fetal well-being, labor and delivery, and the developing child. Much of the Institute's research on SIDS is supported through this Branch. The Branch also supports or has supported these efforts:
- The Prenatal Alcohol and SIDS and Stillbirth (PASS) Network, a collaborative effort between NICHD and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, investigates the role of prenatal exposure to alcohol in SIDS risk and in poor pregnancy outcomes, such as stillbirth and fetal alcohol syndrome. The Safe Passage Study , the current main study of the PASS Network, is investigating the effects of alcohol exposure during pregnancy on SIDS risk.
- National Infant Sleep Position (NISP) Study
  NICHD supports this study to evaluate changes in infant care practices in response to the Back to Sleep campaign. The annual telephone survey interviews nighttime caregivers in households with infants younger than 8 months.
- Collaborative Home Infant Monitoring Evaluation (CHIME) Study
  CHIME enrolled 1,079 infants for the purpose of studying whether home monitors were effective in identifying episodes of apnea dangerous to an infant's health. Based on CHIME findings, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend the use of home monitors to predict or prevent SIDS.
Safe to Sleep^® Campaign
This collaborative education campaign, led by NICHD, offers information about research on SIDS and its possible causes. It also provides these resources for providers:
- Continuing Education (CE) Program on SIDS Risk Reduction: Curriculum for Nurses
  NICHD, the National Institute on Nursing Research, and other organizations partnered to create this CE program for nurses on reducing the risk of SIDS. The course is accredited for 1.1 CE credit hours.
- Q/As for Health Care Providers: SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Causes of Infant Death (PDF - 1.68 MB)
National SUID/SIDS Resource Center
The National SUID/SIDS Resource Center provides information, services, materials, and technical assistance to those affected by SUID/SIDS.
African American Faith-Based Bereavement Initiative (AAFBBI)
NICHD cofunded the development of this online module, available through the National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University. The initiative aims to improve support for families affected by SIDS.
In this updated policy statement and technical report, the American Academy of Pediatrics provides expanded guidelines on safe sleep for infants, with additional information for parents on creating a safe environment in which their child can sleep.
CDC Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Initiative
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Division of Reproductive Health began the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Initiative in 1998 to improve the investigation and reporting practices for SIDS and other SUIDs. Out of this initiative came revised reporting forms, training curricula, and a state-based SUID case registry.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
The CPSC is the government agency responsible for ensuring the safety of products such as cribs and bassinets. The Commission is a collaborator in the NICHD-led Safe to Sleep^® campaign and offers several resources related to crib safety and the safety of other products, such as wedges.

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.

SIDS Resources

Resources for Patients

Resources for Researchers and Health Care Providers