Gastric aspiration and sleeping position in infancy and early childhood

: Concern has been expressed that the recommendation of supine sleeping position for infants would result in an increase in deaths due to gastric aspiration. A review of 196 cases of infant and early childhood death in children under 3 years of age, occurring over a 9‐year period (September 1989 to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of paediatrics and child health 2000-08, Vol.36 (4), p.403-405
Main Authors: Byard, Rw, Beal, Sm
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy
Australia
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Death
Emergency and intensive care: neonates and children. Prematurity. Sudden death
Female
Gastric aspiration
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infants
Intensive care medicine
Male
Medical sciences
Pneumonia, Aspiration - complications
Pneumonia, Aspiration - etiology
Relationship
Sleep - physiology
Sleeping position
sudden infant death
Sudden Infant Death - etiology
Supine Position
Tropical medicine
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Summary:: Concern has been expressed that the recommendation of supine sleeping position for infants would result in an increase in deaths due to gastric aspiration. A review of 196 cases of infant and early childhood death in children under 3 years of age, occurring over a 9‐year period (September 1989 to August 1998) was undertaken to ascertain how many cases of significant gastric aspiration had occurred. Extensive and widespread filling of the airways/alveoli with gastric contents was found in three infants/young children aged 5, 6 and 30 months, respectively. In each instance the body had been found lying face down (prone), with the face in a pool of vomitus in at least one case. No cases of significant gastric aspiration were found in infants who had been found lying on their sides or backs (supine). In addition, no significant increase in numbers of infant and early childhood deaths in South Australia due to gastic aspiration over this time could be demonstrated. Concerns that the supine rather than the prone position is more likely to result in significant gastric aspiration are not supported by this study.
ISSN:1034-4810
1440-1754
DOI:10.1046/j.1440-1754.2000.00503.x