The relation between social disadvantage and infant health is at the core of this topical and comprehensive book comprising three extensive literature reviews. It is timely in view of the recent publication of the Acheson report into health inequalities (Inequalities in health: report of an independent inquiry. London: HMSO 1998).

Parental smoking is a known risk factor for a range of adverse infancy and childhood outcomes. Socioeconomic status is a risk factor for the same adverse outcomes. The review presents unequivocal evidence for the link between increasing social disadvantage and parental smoking. The problems of disentangling the influence of these related factors on sudden unexpected death of infants (SUDI) …