How Common is Accidental Suffocation in Young Infants in the US?

Discussion Parent-infant bed sharing is common with 46% in a US population. The rates depend on the definition used, the time period being instituted and also the consistency of the practice. One study noted that “even for those who do not consistently bed-share, some co-sleeping is common, with 60% of mothers of infants under 12 months of age reporting sharing a bed at least once.” Globally different countries report rates from 6-100%. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is defined as “[t]he sudden unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant aged <1 y, in which investigation, autopsy, medical history review, and appropriate laboratory testing fail to identify a specific cause, including cases that meet the definition of SIDS." Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is the current preferred term but many groups and organizations continue to use SIDS. Accidental strangulation or suffocation in bed is defined as "An explained sudden and unexpected infant death in a sleep environment (bed, crib, couch, chair, etc) in which the infant's nose and mouth are obstructed or the neck or chest is compressed from soft or loose bedding, an overlay, or wedging causing asphyxia." Infants that die while in bed may have many reasons for the death such as an underlying health condition, SIDS or suffocation/strangulation, etc. Death inquiries may use different terminology for their findings and those terms may change over time. Multiple factors may ...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news