Before and After Detailed U.S. data on SIDS are available only for the past 25 years, but as best we know, the rate was steady at about 1 baby in every 700 throughout most of the twentieth century and has been even lower after 2008, at about 1 baby in every 2000.

Sources: Anderson et al., 1997; Murphy et al., 2012; National Center for Health Statistics (1998–2010).