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P. J. Berry, FRCPath
Department of Pediatric Pathology
The University of Bristol
Bristol, England

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157:293-294.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The 1969 definition of SIDS by Beckwith and colleagues has benefited innumerable families and been a focus for research that has culminated in "typical" SIDS becoming a rarity in many countries. This welcome reduction in SIDS cases has brought to the forefront problems with the definition and its overuse.

Problems arise because the definition (which is really a description) is imprecise and because the term SIDS is used in 2 different and sometimes incompatible ways. First, it is a certifiable cause of death that is also a starting point for supporting bereaved parents; second, it is an inclusion criterion for SIDS research. This dichotomy is addressed in Dr Beckwith's proposed 2-tier approach, but the imprecision is not.

A unique aspect of SIDS is that it is the only context in which a pathologist can give a certifiable cause of death in the absence of finding an . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Defining the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
J. Bruce Beckwith
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157(3):286-290.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT