Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant where no cause is found after detailed post mortem.
- 196 unexplained infant deaths occurred in the entire UK in 2019, a rate of 0.28 deaths per 1,000 live births
- 170 unexplained infant deaths occurred in England and Wales in 2019, a rate of 0.27 deaths per 1,000 live births: a decrease from 0.32 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018
- Just over half (55.3%) of all unexplained infant deaths were boys in 2019 (0.29 deaths per 1,000 live births). This is a decrease from 57.6% in 2018
- In 2019, the unexplained infant mortality rate was highest for mothers aged under 20 years, at 0.96 deaths per 1,000 live births
Credit: Office of National Statistics, National Records of Scotland and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency 2020
*England and Wales data includes International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes R95 (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and R99 (Ill Defined/Unknown), Scotland and Northern Ireland data includes ICD code R95 only.*For SIDS information by region click here >>