Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc.

SIDS is the sudden and unexpected death of a baby between one month and one year of age whose death remains unexplained after a complete autopsy, investigation of the circumstances of death, and review of the infant's medical history.

Chi ETA Phi Sorority, Inc. has entered into a partnership with the Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs (ASIP) to officially support the Back to Sleep campaign and promote the campaign's message in the African American communities as one of our national projects.

In this partnership, chapters may raise funds for SIDS research and/or participate in SIDS education. Baby

Facts:

80% die before 5 months of age
90% die before 6 months of age
98% die before 12 months of age
SIDS occurs in one to two of every 1000 live births
SIDS claims the lives of almost 3000 infants in the United States each year
Approximately 9 infants die each day of SIDS
Most SIDS victims die by the age of 4 months, with the majority falling between two and four months of age.
No product, regardless of it's claim, can prevent SIDS. Some products available on the market may help reduce the risks according to certain theories on SIDS, but no product will prevent every death currently labeled SIDS.
Black babies are about two and a half times more susceptible to SIDS than White babies, and Native infants are about three times more susceptible. The incidence of SIDS is lowest among Hispanic and Asian infants. However it is important to note that SIDS occurs in families of all races.
More male babies die of SIDS than female babies.
Since 1992 when the American Academy of Pediatrics began a nationwide campaign recommending that parents put babies to sleep on their backs instead of their stomachs, the number of infants dying from SIDS has dropped 38%.
As many as two-thirds of all SIDS victims had no known risk factors.
SIDS is the second most common cause of death for infants less than one year of age, the first being congenital anomalies and short gestation/low birth weight as the leading overall cause of death for all infants under the age of one. Most deaths due to congenital anomalies and other causes occur during the first week of life, leaving SIDS as the most common cause of death during the post-perinatal period, between one month and one year of age, accounting for 35% of post-perinatal deaths.
Statistically, there is no data indicating any harm in placing an infant to sleep on his or her back or side, and even the risk of SIDS for an infant placed on his or her stomach is still extremely low, but this is due to the risk of SIDS in general being low in the first place. However, back sleeping has caused a decline in the number of SIDS deaths, and is the choice of pediatricians for lowering the risk of SIDS even further than any risk the child has initially. The recommendation was given beginning in 1992, and is believed to prevent rebreathing of exhaled, carbon dioxide-rich air trapped in underlying bedding. It's also thought to help prevent a baby from overheating.
Constant worrying about the possibility of SIDS and constant checking on the baby will not safeguard a baby from SIDS, although it does provide some comfort, even though it is exhausting for the parents. The first few months are a time best spent by loving and watching your child grow and develop. Although SIDS is a terrifying and horrible experience to go through, it must be recognized that SIDS is not a very common occurrence, and that if viewed in a different light, of every 1000 babies born, 998 will not become SIDS victims.
The incidence of SIDS is 1.4 deaths per 1000 live births.
In Europe and North America, the January SIDS rate is double the incidence during the summer months. The majority of the deaths occur during the winter months (October to April in the Northern Hemisphere).

Source: sidsfamilies.com