Despite the large reduction in SIDS mortality, which occurred in the early 1990s following the 'Back to Sleep' campaigns, SIDS remains the leading cause of death in the postneonatal age group. This paper describes the position in the 1980s, the contribution of the New Zealand Cot Death Study, what should be recommended and the current research priorities.
Conclusion: SIDS is preventable. Application of what we currently know could eliminate SIDS. The challenge is to find ways of implementing our knowledge.