Reducing the Risk. A lack of answers is part of what makes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) so frightening. SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants 1 month to 1 year old, and claims the lives of about 2,500 each year in the United States. It remains unpredictable despite years of research. Even so, the risk of SIDS can be greatly reduced.
Using the Latitude Longitude Coordinate System. The latitude longitude coordinate system uses angular measurements to describe a position on the surface of the earth. The system has been in use, with little change, since the astronomer Ptolemy used them in his first world atlas in A.D. 150. Mariners and aviators have been the primary users of latitude/longitude in the past. The system is used on a world wide basis and many different types of maps have lat/lon markings.
The Equator is the line of 0Â° latitude, the starting point for measuring latitude. The latitude of the North Pole is 90Â° N, and that of the South Pole is 90Â° S. The latitude of every point in between must be some degree north or south, from 0Â° to 90Â°. One degree of latitude covers about 69 miles (111 kilometers). Longitude is measured in degrees east or west of the prime meridian. This means one half of the world is measured in degrees of east longitude up to 180Â°, and the other half in degrees of west longitude up to 180Â°.