[JAMA Pediatrics] An analysis of CDC WONDER data finds infant mortality has declined by 22.4% between 1999 and 2022, but SUID deaths have risen 11.8% between 2020 and 2022.

Study is here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2829642

Researchers used CDC's WONDER database which tracks population level deaths across the US. It's a pretty cool tool, the public can interact with it and run their own analyses here. While researchers found that overall, infant mortality declined significantly (though it is worth noting that the data is all pre-Dobbs and infant mortality has been increasing post Dobbs as more women are forced to carry babies to term).

However, interestingly, they found a significant rise in infant mortality due to SUID (the blanket term that encompasses sudden unexpected infant death, so SIDS, suffocation or strangulation in bed, and unexplained death during sleep), specifically during the period of 2020-2022.

Researchers posit that, "Possible explanations identified in this study include the rise of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, parental opioid use and the effect of social media on infant sleep practices.

"In social media posts, infants can be seen in unsafe sleep positions, for example on their stomach instead of on their back, and in unsafe sleep environments such as adult beds, couches and baby swings," Wolf added."

Adding to the theory that COVID-19 might play a role in increasing SUID rates is this prior study, which found significant increases in SUID at times where respiratory diseases (e.g. COVID and RSV) were surging. One theory around sleep deaths, specifically SIDS, is that it occurs during triple risk —a vulnerable infant (e.g., an infant who has innate risk factors, like being born premature or the child of a smoker), a critical development period (e.g. the 2-4 month range when SIDS peaks), and an exogenous stressor (e.g. a respiratory illness or bedsharing).