Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood: Current Understanding

Pediatr Emerg Care. 2023 Dec 1;39(12):984-985. doi: 10.1097/01.pec.0000997588.40847.b0.

Abstract

Sudden, Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is a term that encompasses apparently natural deaths in children over one year of age with no discernible cause despite a thorough assessment. Definitive underlying causes vary but most cases remain largely unexplained. Research has furthered the view that SUDC is not an accident, but rather a sentinel medical event for which a thorough postmortem investigation is indicated. Emerging evidence in genetics, neurology, and neuropathology point to heterogeneous causes that in some cases share features of recognized diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Death, Sudden* / etiology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Sudden Infant Death* / epidemiology
  • Sudden Infant Death* / etiology