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Handbook of Pediatric Autopsy Pathology pp 451–469Cite as

Sudden Infant Death

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Abstract

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a postmortem diagnosis that identifies an infant, usually less than 1 yr old, who dies a sudden and unexpected natural death during sleep and the cause of death is not apparent after autopsy. The differential diagnosis of SIDS from other causes of infant death is often difficult. Even after an adequate autopsy, approx 85% of cases of sudden death in infants (including SIDS) remain unexplained; the other 15% comprise a variety of explained disorders.

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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Florida School of Medicine, Tampa, Florida

    Enid Gilbert-Barness AO, MBBS, MD, FRCPA, FRCPath, DSci(hc), MD(hc) (Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) (Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)

  2. Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL

    Enid Gilbert-Barness AO, MBBS, MD, FRCPA, FRCPath, DSci(hc), MD(hc) (Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) & Diane E. Debich-Spicer BS (Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) & 

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(2005). Sudden Infant Death. In: Gilbert-Barness, E., Debich-Spicer, D.E. (eds) Handbook of Pediatric Autopsy Pathology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-673-8:451

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-673-8:451

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-224-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-673-7

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