October is dedicated to bringing awareness to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. SIDS occurs in babies less than one year old, when the death cannot be explained after a thorough investigation has been conducted.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths are a leading cause of post-neonatal mortality across the country but can be significantly reduced with education and awareness campaigns.

In 2011, there were 15 sleep-related deaths in the region, two in Baker County, one in Clay and 12 in Duval County. Since 2008, the Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUIDs) rate has consistently dropped. The regional SUIDs rate was below the state rate in 2011 for the first time.

In Northeast Florida, sleep-related deaths accounted for 13 percent of all infant deaths. Some areas still see higher rates, like Baker County, where 40 percent of deaths are SUIDs.

More local information is available on the Coalition’s Safe Sleep site.

The National SUIDs/SIDS Resource Center also has a comprehensive list of resources.