Sleep position and bed-sharing in sudden infant deaths: An examination of autopsy findings

2001 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon R. Thogmartin ◽  
Charles F. Siebert ◽  
William A. Pellan
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Position ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Infant Deaths ◽  
Bed Sharing ◽  
Autopsy Findings

scholarly journals An Integrated Analysis of Maternal-Infant Sleep, Breastfeeding, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Research Supporting a Balanced Discourse

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 510-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen A. Marinelli ◽  
Helen L. Ball ◽  
James J. McKenna ◽  
Peter S. Blair
Keyword(s):  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Infant Sleep ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Safe Sleep ◽  
Infant Deaths ◽  
Bed Sharing ◽  
Parental Alcohol

Breastfeeding and the place of sleep for the mother and the infant have been controversial internationally due to reported concerns regarding infant deaths despite the known benefits of exclusive and prolonged breastfeeding, which are increased by breastfeeding at night. The aims of this integrated analysis were to (a) review breastfeeding and maternal and infant sleep research literature via historical, epidemiological, anthropological, and methodological lenses; (b) use this information to determine where we are currently in safeguarding both infant lives and breastfeeding; and (c) postulate the direction that research might take from this point forward to improve our knowledge and inform our policy and practice. Despite well-meaning but unsuccessful campaigns in some countries to dissuade parents from sleeping with their babies, many breastfeeding mothers and caregivers do sleep with their infants whether intentionally or unintentionally. Taking cultural contexts and socio-ecological circumstances into consideration, data supports policies to counsel parents and caregivers on safe sleep practices, including bed-sharing in non-hazardous circumstances, particularly in the absence of parental smoking, recent parental alcohol consumption, or sleeping next to an adult on a sofa. Further research with appropriate methodology is needed to drill down on actual rates of infant deaths, paying close attention to the definitions of deaths, the circumstances of the deaths, and confounding factors, in order to ensure we have the best information with which to derive public health policy. Introduction and use of the concept of “breastsleeping” is a plausible way to remove the negative connotations of “co-sleeping” and redirect ongoing data-driven discussions and education of best practices of breastfeeding and sleep.

scholarly journals Cultural variation in factors associated with sudden infant death during sleep

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Mee Ahn ◽  
Kyung-moo Yang ◽  
Hong Il Ha ◽  
Jung Ae Cho
Keyword(s):  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
Risk Model ◽  
Sleep Position ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Unexpected Death ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Bed Sharing ◽  
Western Countries

Abstract Background Despite the significant reduction decades ago in sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), decline of rates has slowed and stalled in some countries, including the USA. This led to an appreciation of ethnic variations in SUDI rates and the need to increase cultural sensitivity regarding sleep practices and circumstantial factors of SUDI. The study explored SUDI-related factors, in journal articles from two geo-cultural regions (Asian and Western countries), particularly for factors related to infant sleep practices. Methods A systematic review was conducted to identify SUDI-related factors in articles from PubMed, Scopus, and the Korean Citation Index from January 1992 to April 2019. From each article, SUDI-related factors were retrieved and categorized through the identification, aggregation, and categorization of factors into the areas of the triple risk model (TRM) of SUDI by their meanings and commonality. Significant trends in the frequency of factors were analyzed across time and between the two geo-cultural regions (Asian and Western countries) of article. Results From a review of 218 articles (38 Asian and 180 Western articles), 84 SUDI-related factors were identified: 39 factors for TRM 1, 44 factors for TRM 2, and one factor for TRM 3. Four of the top-ranked 10 factors were found in both cultural zones: sleep position, male sex, bed-sharing, and genetics. Both cultural zones identified sleep position (44.0%), bed-sharing (22.0%), and rooming-in (16.5%) as the three most important sleep-related factors for SUDI. Variations between the cultural zones were observed in the place of SUDI occurrence, overheating, swaddling or bedding standards, and smoking. Conclusions Regardless of the urgent need to identify SUDI-related factors in low-SUDI societies, Asian cultures showed a significant lack of articles on SUDI. Several sociocultural issues were recognized such as the meaning of bed-sharing and rooming-in, along with residential styles and traditional health beliefs on sleep-related SUDI factors. Particularly little attention towards smoking was found in Asian articles in terms of frequency, suggesting the need to enhance SUDI reduction strategies by incorporating gender-sensitive smoking cessation interventions. This review of SUDI factors requests child health professionals to be alert to sociocultural variations in sleep practices and SUDI factors.

scholarly journals Ten Percent of SIDS Cases are Murder — or are They?

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Milroy ◽  
Charis Kepron
Keyword(s):  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Related Question ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Court Cases ◽  
Unexpected Death ◽  
Infant Deaths ◽  
Lower Figure ◽  
History Of ◽  
Made In

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been used as a cause of death for over four decades. It has allowed deaths of infants to be registered as natural. Within this group of deaths, a certain number have been recognized to be homicides from inflicted smothering rather than being natural or accidental deaths. Research has been conducted using confidential inquires to determine how frequent homicide is in cases called SIDS. This paper traces the history of quoted rates of homicide. Early work suggested the figure was between 2-10% of all SIDS cases, though other workers have suggested figures as high as 20-40%. With the fall in the rate of infant deaths following the “Back to Sleep” campaigns, these figures have been reevaluated. If the higher figures were correct that 20-40% of SIDS were homicides, the fall in infant deaths would be expected to be less than it has been. Current data suggests a much lower figure than 10% of current cases, with much lower overall rates of infant deaths. As well as 10% of SIDS cases having been stated to be homicides, a related question is whether multiple deaths classified as SIDS are really homicides. The paper discusses the maxim that one death is a tragedy, two is suspicious, and three deaths indicate homicide. The paper also looks at court cases and the approach that has been made in prosecutions of sudden unexpected death in infancy as multiple murder.

Diphtheria-tetanus toxoids-pertussis vaccination and sudden infant deaths in Tennessee

1982 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger H. Bernier ◽  
John A. Frank ◽  
Timothy J. Dondero ◽  
Paul Turner
Keyword(s):  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Infant Deaths

Infant Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Risk: A Time For Change

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-107
Author(s):  
Carl E. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sleep Position ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Infant Sleep ◽  
Public Intervention ◽  
Infant Sleep Position ◽  
The Us ◽  
Epidemiological Risk ◽  
Health Objectives

I fully support a comprehensive professional and public intervention campaign in the US to establish supine as the standard sleep position. Although other preventive health objectives can be included, the emphasis needs to be clearly focused on sleep position. Achieving the lowest possible prone prevalence rate in the US is thus the first goal of this new campaign. The second and equally important goal of the new campaign should be to utilize this opportunity to maximum advantage to enhance our knowledge regarding the epidemiological risk factors causally related to SIDS and their interactions, and the interactions between epidemiological and biological risk factors. In addition to quantifying changes in infant mortality and in infant sleep position, we will also need to characterize both the supine and the persistent prone infant groups in regard to all of the putative epidemiological risk factors for SIDS. This campaign can thus enhance our understanding of the epidemiological risk factors for SIDS as long as a significant decrease in prone prevalence can be achieved.

scholarly journals An Approach to the Classification of Apparent Asphyxial Infant Deaths

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan W. Matshes ◽  
Emma O. Lew
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Death Certification ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Infant Deaths ◽  
Unexpected Infant Death

Recent evidence indicates that with thorough, high quality death investigations and autopsies, forensic pathologists have recognized that many unexpected infant deaths are, in fact, asphyxial in nature. With this recognition has come a commensurate decrease in, and in some cases, abolition of, the label “sudden infant death syndrome” (SIDS). Current controversies often pertain to how and why some infant deaths are determined to be asphyxial in nature and whether or not apparent asphyxial circumstances are risk factors for SIDS, or rather, harbingers of asphyxial deaths. In an effort to sidestep these controversies, some forensic pathologists elected to instead use the noncommittal label “sudden unexpected infant death” (SUID), leading to the unfortunate consequence of SUID – like SIDS – gaining notoriety as an actual disease that could be diagnosed, studied, and ultimately cured. Although it is not possible to provide death certification guidance for every conceivable type of unexpected infant death, we recognize and propose a simple classification system for overarching themes that cover the vast majority of cases where infants die suddenly and unexpectedly.

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