Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a term applied to the sudden death of an infant that defies explanation. The infant apnea syndrome (formerly the near-miss for SIDS) has come to apply to a different population of infants who are unlikely to have died from SIDS. The use of monitoring devices in the home is logical in the apnea syndrome, but evidence for its use for the prevention of SIDS is presently lacking. There is no information yet on methods by which to predict or to prevent SIDS. Support and counselling of grieving parents requires an updated knowledge of advances in SIDS research.