According to a Sept. 26 press release, the risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, especially in 2021, according to a new study led by researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine.
“Monthly increases in SUID in 2021 coincided with a resurgence of seasonal respiratory viruses, particularly respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), suggesting that the shift in SUID rates may be associated with altered infectious disease transmission,” the press release added.
The findings are published in JAMA Network Open.
The press release said, “In 2022, approximately 3,700 infants died unexpectedly in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). SUID is an umbrella term for unexpected death of an infant under the age of one year from known and unknown causes. SIDS is a type of SUID that occurs during sleep and where the cause of death is not known, even after a full investigation, and accounts for roughly one-third of SUID cases.”
The research team looked at the rate of SUID and SIDS during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared it to the direct period prior to the pandemic. Between March 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2021, there were 14,308 cases of SUID, based on national data on mortality provided by the CDC.
The release commented, “The research team found that the risk of SUID and SIDS increased during the pandemic when they compared monthly cases to the pre-pandemic period. The greatest increase was observed in 2021 when rates for SUID and SIDS increased 9% and 10%, respectively, compared to the pre-pandemic period. There was a notable shift in SUID rates from June to December 2021, when the monthly rate of SUID increased between 10% and 14% compared to pre-pandemic levels.”
Additionally, the press release added, that certain measures put into place to mitigate the pandemic interrupted the spread of respiratory illnesses keeping the rates low during 2020. As the measures were lifted, seasonal respiratory viruses spread more widely and intensely at unexpected times.
According to the release, cases surged between June and December 2021. The team noted that further research is needed to better understand the role of infection in SUID and SIDS and whether infections like RSV may contribute to a portion of SUID and SIDS cases.
