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We postulate that while low-level stress can stimulate adaptation, prolonged and repetitive iatrogenic stressful, painful, or traumatic experiences during prenatal, perinatal, neonatal, and postneonatal development constitute allostatic overload and are risk factors for SIDS. Due to their total dependence, the infant’s ability to allostatically regulate exposure to stressors is severely constrained, which increases their vulnerability to disease and premature death. Due to their difficulties in maintaining homeostasis and inability to escape/avoid iatrogenic or non-medically nociceptive exposure, infants are vulnerable to toxic stress with preterm infants being the most vulnerable. <ref name="elhaick2016" /></blockquote>Elhaik lists infant stressors such as:* maternal smoking* maternal caffeine consumption* preterm births* non-urgent pediatric surgeries* neonatal circumcision Elhaik lists stressors from non-therapeutic neonatal circumcision as:* intense pain* bleeding* shock* sepsis* circulatory shock* hemorrhage that can result in death. He points out that post-operative circumcision pain can last for 10-14 days.<ref name="elhaick2016" /> Elhaik lists skin breaking procedures such as heel sticks and seasonal respiratory viral infection as additional stressors.<ref name="elhaick2016" /> Elhaick observes that the SIDS rate in the UK where the NHS does not perform non-therapeutic circumcision is 0.38 per 1000 as compared with the US rate of 0.55 per 1000 where most male infants are circumcised.<ref name="elhaick2016" /blockquote>