Jade Spinelli, Lyndsey Collins-Praino, Corinna Van Den Heuvel and Roger W Byard. School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, ...
doi:10.1111/jpc.13429
REVIEW ARTICLE
Evolution and significance of the triple risk model in sudden infant death syndrome Jade Spinelli, Lyndsey Collins-Praino, Corinna Van Den Heuvel and Roger W Byard School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Abstract: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a leading cause of death in infants, although the mechanisms leading to death remain unclear. Multiple theories have emerged over time, with one of the most influential hypotheses being the triple risk model. This model, first devised in 1972 and later revised in 1994 by Filiano and Kinney, is still widely used in assisting with conceptualising and understanding sudden death in infancy. This model has evolved over time, with each version stressing that SIDS is likely to occur when certain risk factors coincide, suggesting that the lethal mechanisms in SIDS are likely to be multifactorial. All versions of the triple risk model from 1972 to the present have emphasised the complexity of SIDS and serve as useful guides for current and future research into the enigma of sudden and unexpected death in infancy. Key words: risk factors; SIDS; stressors; triple risk; vulnerability.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a major component in the deaths of children under the age of 1,1 with peak prevalence between the second and fourth months.2 The cause of death in SIDS infants remains unclear.3,4 It has been defined as ‘the sudden unexpected death of an infant
