Lancet. 2006 Jan 28;367(9507):314-9.
Major epidemiological changes in sudden infant death syndrome: a 20-yearpopulation-based study in the UK.
Blair PS, Sidebotham P, Berry PJ, Evans M, Fleming PJ.Institute of Child Life and Health, Department of Clinical Science, Universityof Bristol, UK.
BACKGROUND: Results of case-control studies in the past 5 years suggest that theepidemiology of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has changed since the 1991UK Back to Sleep campaign. The campaign's advice that parents put babies ontheir back to sleep led to a fall in death rates. We used a longitudinal datasetto assess these potential changes.
METHODS: Population-based data from homevisits have been collected for 369 consecutive unexpected infant deaths (300SIDS and 69 explained deaths) in Avon over 20 years (1984-2003). Data obtainedbetween 1993 and 1996 from 1300 controls with a chosen "reference" sleep beforeinterview have been used for comparison.
FINDINGS: Over the past 20 years, theproportion of children who died from SIDS while co-sleeping with their parents,has risen from 12% to 50% (p<0.0001), p="0.01)." p="0.003)," p="0.0004)," p="0.0001).">
INTERPRETATION: Factors thatcontribute to SIDS have changed in their importance over the past 20 years.Although the reasons for the rise in deaths when a parent sleeps with theirinfant on a sofa are still unclear, we strongly recommend that parents avoidthis sleeping environment. Most SIDS deaths now occur in deprived families. Tobetter understand contributory factors and plan preventive measures we needcontrol data from similarly deprived families, and particularly, infant sleepenvironments.
Refers to: Prevention of sudden unexpected infant death, The Lancet, Volume 367, Issue 9507, 28 January 2006-3 February 2006, Pages 277-278 Jacobus P van Wouwe, and Remy A HiraSinga,
