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This article presents a seminar on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). While the rates of SIDS are declining, it is still the leading cause of death of very young infants age 1 month to 1 year in developed countries. Factors that are blamed for SIDS include the sleeping position of the baby, second hand smoke exposure, bedding that is too soft and overheating. Pacifiers and one child per bed appear to reduce the risk of sudden infant death. The exact cause of SIDS is still unknown though it is suspected that immature cardiorespiratory control and failure of arousal from sleep are causes in addition to possible genetic factors.

This article presents the results of a study looking into the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in those exposed to second hand smoke in China. COPD is a leading cause of death in China where a large number of the population is exposed to second hand smoke. The study discovered that exposure to passive smoking is associated with an increased prevalence of COPD and respiratory symptoms. If the association is causal, the study authors' estimate that 1.9 million deaths from COPD among nonsmokers could be attributed to passive smoking in China.