Sudden unexplained death in childhood, or SUDC, is defined as the death of a child age 1 to 18 — though most are toddlers — without a known cause, even after an autopsy and investigation by doctors, and sometimes police and child-welfare officials. These children are older than the 12-month age cutoff for sudden infant death, typically referred to as SIDS, and have outgrown the risk of suffocating in their sleep, a factor in sudden death in younger infants.
Now, parents, researchers and other advocates are looking for answers. They are pushing for federal legislation that would fund SUDC research and improve how these deaths are classified and investigated. Researchers say the first step is to come up with an accurate count of these deaths, with the hope of someday finding common links. That could not only provide answers to devastated families, but also offer lifesaving measures similar to the safe sleep campaigns credited with lowering SIDS rates across the country.