Sudden unexplained death in childhood

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Sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) is the death of a child over the age of 12 months which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation and autopsy. There has not been enough research to identify risk factors, common characteristics, or prevention strategies for SUDC. SUDC is similar in concept to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Like SIDS, SUDC is a diagnosis of exclusion, the concrete symptom of both being death. However, SIDS is a diagnosis specifically for infants under the age of 12 months while SUDC is a diagnosis for children 12 months and older. The causes of SIDS and SUDC are not definitively known but there are good chances heart arrhythmias and seizures are the main causes. Although it can happen to any child under the age of 18 years (after which the deaths are classified as sudden arrhythmic death syndrome), it is most common in those aged between 1–4 years, where, according to the SUDC foundation, it is the 5th leading cause of death in this age group.

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