What age group is most commonly affected by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) predominantly affects infants during their first year of life, particularly between 1 and 4 months of age. This phenomenon has been well-documented in pediatric research, which has established that the risk decreases significantly as the child grows older.

During the first year, infants are in a critical stage of development, and factors such as sleep position, sleep environment, and parental smoking are heavily associated with SIDS occurrences. This age range has been the focus of many studies and public health campaigns, which aim to educate parents and caregivers about safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS.

In comparison, the other age groups listed, such as ages 1-3 years and ages 3-5 years, show significantly lower instances of SIDS, as this condition primarily targets the infant population. Newborns, while still a part of the first year of life, are not the sole focus since SIDS risk particularly stabilizes after the first few months.