scholarly journals A Fresh Look at the History of SIDS

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Sleeping Position ◽  
Death Scene ◽  
Historical Essay ◽  
The 1960S

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) became a named entity in 1969 and the term has been used to certify sudden unexpected infant deaths meeting certain demographic, epidemiologic, and pathologic criteria. Since it is a diagnosis of exclusion, there is inherent imprecision, and this has led the National Association of Medical Examiners to recommend that these deaths now be classified as “undetermined.” This historical review article briefly analyzes anecdotal instances of SIDS described centuries ago as overlying, smothering, infanticide, and suffocation by bedclothes followed by a more detailed review of “thymic” causes (i.e., thymic asthma and status thymicolymphaticus) popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Before the 1950s, such cases were also often categorized as accidental mechanical suffocation. In the 1940s and 1950s, forensic studies on infants dying unexpectedly revealed a typical pattern of autopsy findings strongly suggestive of natural causation and, after 1969, cases meeting the appropriate criteria were usually categorized as SIDS, a term embraced by the public and by advocacy groups. Research conducted after the 1960s identified important risk factors and generated many theories related to pathogenesis, such as prolonged sleep apnea. The incidence of SIDS deaths decreased sharply in the early 1990s after implementing public awareness programs addressing risk factors such as prone sleeping position and exposure to smoking. Deletion of cases in which death scene investigation suggested asphyxiation and cases where molecular autopsies revealed metabolic diseases further decreased the incidence. This historical essay lays the foundation for debate on the future of the SIDS entity.

Sudden Unexpected Death of Two Infants in Baby Carriers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Storz ◽  
Christof Dame ◽  
Anke Wendt ◽  
Alexander Gratopp ◽  
Christoph Bührer
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Infant Development ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Bottle Feeding ◽  
Sudden Unexpected Death ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Unexpected Death ◽  
Sleeping Position ◽  
Prone Sleeping Position

Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), previously termed sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is the second leading cause of death in infants beyond the neonatal period in Germany, and a major cause of infant mortality in economically well developed countries (OECD Health Statistics, 2019). The risk of SUDI peaks at the age of 2–4 months and then decreases continuously till the end of the first year. A complex multifactorial cause, rather than a single characteristic factor, may cause SUDI within a critical period of infant development (Guntheroth WG et al., Pediatrics 2002; 110: e64–e64). Risk factors include prematurity, male gender, bottle-feeding, prone sleeping position, overheating, as well as exposure to smoke amongst others (Carpenter RG et al., Lancet 2004; 363: 185–191). Thus, health professionals consistently advise and educate parents about avoidable risk factors of SUDI at routine well-baby examinations. Since the advent of SUDI prevention strategies in the 1980s, the incidence has decreased 10fold, from 1,55/1.000 live births in 1991 to 0,15/1000 in 2015. This number seems to have reached a steady state (Statistisches Bundesamt Germany, 2015).

Sleeping Position and Sudden Infant Death

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 782-783
Author(s):  
LEWIS A. BARNESS ◽  
ENID GILBERT-BARNESS
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Sleeping Position

To the Editor.— The recognition by the Academy1 that altering the recommendation for the sleeping position of infants may lower the incidence of sudden infant death may help decrease the diagnosis of sudden infant death syndrome as one of us (E. G.-B.) reported in 19892 and as Professor John Emery reported in 1968.3 In addition, recognition of other possible causes of sudden infant death,4 eg, beds and bedding, overlying, metabolic diseases, child abuse, and felicide will further help to limit the diagnosis of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, essentially a diagnosis of unknown cause made by exclusion.

scholarly journals Risk Factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Sleeping Practices in Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Mee Ahn ◽  
Kyung-moo Yang ◽  
Hong Il Ha ◽  
Jung Ae Cho
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Child Rearing ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Sleeping Position ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
The Public ◽  
Healthy Infants

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Korea remains a poorly-understood subject for both professionals and the public. Recent reports have emphasized ethnic differences in SIDS rates, suggesting that making adjustments in child-rearing practices may contribute substantially to SIDS reduction. Two of the three major risk factors for SIDS-vulnerability of the infant and exogenous factors-need to be understood in particular depth due to their broad scope and sociocultural grounding. This paper presents substantial issues regarding preterm birth and male gender on infants’ vulnerability to SIDS in Korea. Practices of caring for healthy infants are addressed in the context of sleeping practices, including sleeping position, bedding arrangements, sleeping on the floor, the back-to-sleep position, high indoor temperatures and ondol floor heating, and swaddling. Professional and social awareness about how to reduce SIDS should be raised by promoting a better understanding of risk factors in the context of ethnic and cultural variations in child-rearing practices.

scholarly journals Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome in a developing country

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 396-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Silveira Pinho ◽  
Denise Aerts ◽  
Magda Lahorgue Nunes
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sudden Death ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Sudden Death Syndrome ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Sleeping Position ◽  
Smoking During Pregnancy ◽  
Medical Visits

OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether previously identified risk factors for sudden death syndrome have a significant impact in a developing country. METHODS: Retrospective longitudinal case-control study carried out in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. Cases (N=39) were infants born between 1996 and 2000 who died suddenly and unexpectedly at home during sleep and were diagnosed with sudden death syndrome. Controls (N=117) were infants matched by age and sex who died in hospitals due to other conditions. Data were collected from postmortem examination records and questionnaires answers. A conditional logistic model was used to identify factors associated with the outcome. RESULTS: Mean age at death of cases was 3.2 months. The frequencies of infants regarding gestational age, breastfeeding and regular medical visits were similar in both groups. Sleeping position for most cases and controls was the lateral one. Supine sleeping position was found for few infants in both groups. Maternal variables, age below 20 years (OR=2, 95% CI: 1.1; 5.1) and smoking of more than 10 cigarettes per day during pregnancy (OR=3, 95% CI: 1.3; 6.4), significantly increased the risk for the syndrome. Socioeconomic characteristics were similar in both groups and did not affect risk. CONCLUSIONS: Infant-maternal and socioeconomic profiles of cases in a developing country closely resembled the profile described in the literature, and risk factors were similar as well. However, individual characteristics were identified as risks in the population studied, such as smoking during pregnancy and maternal age below 20 years.

scholarly journals Conversations with families about reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 226-231
Author(s):  
Anna Pease ◽  
Peter S Blair ◽  
Jenny Ingram ◽  
Peter Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Sleeping Position ◽  
Infant Deaths ◽  
Potential Impact

Inequalities in the burden of sudden and unexpected deaths in infancy make targeted action by health professionals a viable option for intervention. Most of the deaths that now occur have at least one known modifiable risk factor present, so the potential impact of supporting families with implementing safer sleep strategies is great and may bring about a further reduction in infant deaths. This article describes the latest evidence for action on three of the major risk factors for SIDS: sleeping position; smoking; and co-sleeping. It will go on to discuss how to translate this evidence into effective communication strategies for families, including giving information about why or how the messages increase safety for sleeping babies.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Sleeping Position: Fig. 1.

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 211.2-211
Author(s):  
Roberto Buzzetti ◽  
Roberto D'Amico ◽  
Alessandro Liberati
Keyword(s):  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Sleeping Position

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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