Increased unexpected infant deaths during COVID-19 pandemic may indicate links to other infections

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-09-27 01:00

International

What does this mean?

Jump to: MultimediaAttachmentsExpert Reaction

An increase in sudden deaths of infants without a clear cause during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US may have been linked to resurgences of infections after lockdowns were lifted. Researchers studied monthly rates of sudden unexpected infant death, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), from 2018-2021, totalling over 14,000 deaths. These rates increased during the pandemic—but especially in the second half of 2021 after pandemic measures were lifted, matching an unseasonal resurgence of RSV. The study authors suggest that future work could include studies of unexpected infant death rates and respiratory virus spread in other countries.