Analysis of sleep-related sudden unexpected infant deaths and sleep environment factors: clinical experience from a single tertiary medical center

Sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs) occur during unobserved sleep periods. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics initiated the “Safe to Sleep” campaign in 1994, there is a lack of relevant Korean data. This retrospective study analyzed 12 infants with sleep-related SUID who visited a freestanding children’s hospital in Daegu, Korea, from 2013 through 2020. Eleven infants underwent SUIDs in bedrooms without cribs, among whom 7 died. All infants initially slept supine, but 8 were found prone or stuck between bed and wall. This study highlights the importance of safe sleeping environments to reduce sleep-related SUIDs.