Racial Disparity and Modifiable Risk Factors Among Infants Dying Suddenly and Unexpectedly

Racial disparity in rates of death attributable to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been observed for many years. Despite decreased SIDS death rates following the "Back to Sleep" intervention in 1994, this disparity in death rates has increased. The prone sleep position, unsafe slee...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 2003-02, Vol.111 (2), p.e127-e131
Main Authors: Unger, Benjamin, Kemp, James S, Wilkins, Davida, Psara, Rose, Ledbetter, Terrance, Graham, Michael, Case, Mary, Thach, Bradley T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Asphyxia - epidemiology
Cause of Death
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Missouri - epidemiology
Pediatrics
Population Surveillance
Prevalence
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sudden Infant Death - epidemiology
Sudden Infant Death - ethnology
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Summary:Racial disparity in rates of death attributable to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been observed for many years. Despite decreased SIDS death rates following the "Back to Sleep" intervention in 1994, this disparity in death rates has increased. The prone sleep position, unsafe sleep surfaces, and sharing a sleep surface with others (bedsharing) increase the risk of sudden infant death. The race-specific prevalence of these modifiable risk factors in sudden unexpected infant deaths-including SIDS, accidental suffocation (AS), and cause of death undetermined (UD)-has not been investigated in a population-based study. Death rates attributable to AS and UD are also higher in African Americans (AAs) than in other races (non-AA). The potential contribution of unsafe sleep practices to this overall disparity in death rates is uncertain. The objective of this study was to compare death rates attributable to SIDS and related causes of death (AS and UD) in AA and non-AA infants and the prevalence of unsafe sleep practices at time of death. Our hypothesis was that there is a large racial disparity in these modifiable risk factors at the time of death, and that public awareness of this could lead to improved intervention strategies to reduce the disparity in death rates. In this population-based study, we retrospectively reviewed death-scene information and medical examiners' investigations of deaths in St Louis City and County between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 1997. The deaths of all infants
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.111.2.e127