Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is classified by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the death of an infant less than 1 year old which occurs suddenly and unexpectedly so that the cause of death is unknown before investigation. In 2015, 3,700 infant deaths were reportedly caused by SUID. SUID is divided into three types, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), unknown cause, and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. The death is reported as SIDS if after a thorough investigation is conducted, including an autopsy, and both an examination and review of the death scene, the infant’s death is still unexplainable. SIDS is the top cause of death in infants less than a year old and was the cause of approximately 1,600 of the 3,700 deaths reported in 2015. An infant’s death is reported as unknown cause only if the investigation was not fully completed. Accidental suffocation and strangulation include deaths caused by the covering of the infant’s nose and mouth by soft bedding, overlay of another body, or wedging of an infant between two objects.

While the exact cause of SIDS is unknown, many years of research and studies have helped to narrow down hypotheses for the cause. Most hypotheses presume that SIDS results from abnormal cardiopulmonary regulation or cardiorespiratory control and is most likely aggravated by outside factors^[2]. Therefore, by closely monitoring both an infant’s heart rate and respiration rate, it is believed that the onset of SIDS can be determined. Temperature also provides a close indication as to the baby’s well-being as it can determine if outside factors, such as heavy and constricting clothing, are posing a threat to the baby that could lead to potential cardiopulmonary or cardiorespiratory abnormalities. There are currently no products on the market that monitor both respiration and heart rate, therefore leaving the infant at risk for one of the two most probable causes of SIDS.

The goal for the S.W.E.E.T Dreams Baby Monitoring System is to reduce the likelihood of SUID, specifically SIDS, in infants while they sleep in their cribs. The device is designed to monitor a baby’s temperature, heart rate, and respiration rate while in the crib and will be able to notify the infant’s parents if any of these measurements significantly departs from those of a healthy 3-month-old. The purpose of the device is to alarm the infant’s caretaker if a significant decline in the infant’s state of well-being is detected so that the caretaker can call for emergency personnel or take whatever necessary actions to ensure the infant is safe and healthy.