n. (Abbr. SIDS)
A fatal syndrome that affects sleeping infants under a year old, characterized by a sudden cessation of breathing and thought to be caused by a defect in the central nervous system. Also called crib death.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
