What is SUDC?
Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is a category of death in children between the ages of 1 and 18 that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation, including an autopsy. Most often, a seemingly healthy child goes to sleep and never wakes up. At this time, we do not know what causes SUDC, how to predict it or how to prevent it. A medical examiner or coroner could rule a child’s death SUDC when s/he completes a thorough evaluation and finds no other cause of death.
SUDC Facts
SUDC is believed to be rare; occurring in about one in every 100,000 children. Every year in the United States, approximately 400 children are lost to SUDC. It is most common in young children and is the fifth leading category of death among children between the agesof 1 and 4.
We do not know exactly how often SUDC occurs–in the U.S. or around the world. Because the World Health Organization (WHO) lacks a specific way to record sudden and unexplained deaths in children that have been thoroughly investigated, it is impossible to know how widespread the problem is.
The SUDC Foundation
The SUDC Foundation envisions a world where no more children are lost to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood. The SUDC Foundation is the only organization worldwide whose purpose is to promote awareness, advocate for research and support those affected by SUDC. Learn more about the SUDC foundation: www.sudc.org
