Abstract overview:
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) refers to the sudden and unexpected death of a child under one year of age that occurs during sleep and cannot be attributed to any cause after post-mortem evaluation. Despite the fact that the cause of the syndrome remains unknown, research data record certain risk factors related to the sleep environment, such as sleep position, bed sharing with parents, soft bedding and soft mattress, the use of a car seat for sleeping, as well as the exposure of the newborn/infant to cigarette smoke.

Aims and objectives:
The purpose of this work is to discuss the impact of perinatal smoking on the occurrence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Method:
We conducted a literature search of the last decade in the English language. The search was performed in scientific databases (Pubmed, Google Scholar, Scopus) and we used keywords such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), smoking perinatal nicotine exposure, perinatal period and their combination.

Results:
Perinatal exposure to cigarette smoke is associated with SIDS as reduced nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have been recorded in the brainstem of children exposed to second-hand or thirdhand smoke who exhibited SIDS compared to those who were not exposed. This fact demonstrates that nicotine use during pregnancy affects the developing brain and lungs, causing alterations and impacting their function. Research data show that the number of cigarettes and the duration of smoking are linked to the risk of SIDS. Specifically: 1) the risk more than doubles if the mother smokes during pregnancy and doubles when the mother does not smoke or smokes one cigarette, 2) the more cigarettes the pregnant woman consumes, the higher the likelihood of SIDS occurrence, 3) reducing or quitting smoking during pregnancy decreases the chances of the syndrome manifesting in offspring, 4) the earlier in pregnancy the pregnant woman quits smoking, the lower the likelihood of the syndrome occurring, 5) reducing the number of cigarettes reduces the likelihood of SIDS occurrence, but the risk remains compared to those pregnant women who do not smoke at all. To eliminate the risk of SIDS associated with the mother's smoking status, it is important to carry out awareness and cessation support actions by healthcare professionals.

Conclusion:
The correlation of SIDS occurrence due to smoking necessitates the development of intervention and support programs for smoking cessation during the perinatal period and prevention of relapse. The role of healthcare professionals is important, but special training is required.