How can I protect my baby from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)/cot death?

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death, is a diagnosis that's made when an apparently healthy baby dies, without warning, and for no clear reason. Premature babies died of SIDS up to six weeks later than full-term babies, on average. Babies born small for their gestational age had a higher SIDS risk than appropriate-sized infants. No one knows why some babies die in this way. It may just be a combination of factors that affect a baby at a vulnerable stage in their development.