Dan Abel wrote:
>
> Many years ago our son died of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

Wow - I am really sorry to hear that. I can't imagine a loss more
heartbreaking.

> A
> surprising number of babies die from this every year. We did some
> reading about it, and it was reported that the frequency was decreasing.
> Why was that? Because SIDS just means that they don't know why the baby
> died, it just did. As medicine advanced, they could pinpoint the exact
> cause of death.

It's not just that the deaths are being attributed to things other than
SIDS, though (if that's what you are inferring).

They are finding reasons why SIDS happens - smoking in the home and
laying the baby face-down are two factors that are known to be linked
to SIDS deaths, for example. People are now better able to prevent
SIDS.

>
> It could be that just as many kids died of peanut allergies in years
> past, but nobody knew the cause of death.

But it would still be anaphylaxis, which is pretty easy to spot.

> I believe the reason given
> for death for those no longer babies is "natural causes", when they
> don't know why the heck the person died. Just my theory.

There is a category called "unknown cause", IIRC. In a lot of cases,
they just guess, if there is no autopsy.

-L.