Donate directly to the SIDS Network securely with a major credit card . Other ways to help can be found here . The answer is complex and often relies upon circumstantial evidence.
Suffocation causes death as a result of insufficient oxygen reaching the blood.
Consequently the cells of the body are unable to function properly and the vital organs fail. Smothering is defined as mechanical obstruction of the nose and mouth whereas choking is characterized by an obstruction within the airways. External pressure on the body preventing chest movement and, therefore, respiration, leads to mechanical suffocation. Environmental suffocation occurs when oxygen is displaced from the atmosphere being breathed by the individual. Many factors argue persuasively that SIDS is not a result of suffocation.