Appendix A

History of SIDS

1945

Dr. P.V. Woolley, Jr., published an article in the Journal of Pediatrics exploring the relationship of mechanical suffocation during infancy to the problem of sudden infant death. He argued that much evidence for the belief that healthy infants die from suffocation rests on folklore.

1953

Drs. J.J. Werne and I. Garrow of the Office of the Medical Examiner in New York City published the first systematic, documented, detailed and objective analysis of a series of SIDS autopsies in the American Journal of Pathology.

1960s

The Guild for Infant Survival and the National SIDS Foundation, voluntary parent support organizations, are founded.

1963

First international conference on causes of sudden infant death is held in Seattle, Washington.

1969

Second international conference on causes of sudden death in infants is held in Seattle, Washington.

The term SIDS is coined and defined as the sudden death of any infant or young child, which is unexpected by history, and in which a thorough postmortem examination fails to demonstrate an adequate cause of death.

1972

First U.S. Senate hearings held on sudden infant death.

1973

First Federal funds earmarked for SIDS research.

Developed by the Program Support Center at First Candle with collaborative assistance from the Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death and Pregnancy Loss Centers.