Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), apnea, and near miss for SIDS.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) probably represents a number of specific processes rather than one disease, the causes of which have so far eluded scientists. Various hypotheses as to cause are discussed, as is the role of the emergency physician. Also considered are apparently life-threatening events such as prolonged sleep apnea, laryngeal-induced apnea, gastroesophageal reflux-induced apnea, and seizure-associated apnea.