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Acute paediatrics
Infection, health problems, and health care utilisation, and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome
  1. M M T Vennemann1,
  2. M Findeisen2,
  3. T Butterfaß-Bahloul3,
  4. G Jorch4,
  5. B Brinkmann5,
  6. W Köpcke6,
  7. T Bajanowski7,
  8. A Richter7,
  9. E A Mitchell8,
  10. the GeSID Group
  1. 1Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Germany
  2. 2Westphalian Hospital for Children’s and Youth Psychiatry, Marl, Germany
  3. 3Coordinating Centre for Clinical Trials, University of Münster, Germany
  4. 4Children’s Hospital, University of Magdeburg, Germany
  5. 5Institute for Legal Medicine, University of Münster, Germany
  6. 6Department of Medical Informatics and Biomathematics, University of Münster, Germany
  7. 7Institute for Legal Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
  8. 8Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland, New Zealand
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr M Vennemann
    Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Domagkstr, 3, 48129 Münster, Germany; vennemamuni-muenster.de

Abstract

Aim: To examine whether symptoms suggestive of infection, health problems, and health care utilisation are risk factors for SIDS.

Methods: Matched case-control study with 333 SIDS infants and 998 control infants matched for region, age, gender, and reference sleep. Information was obtained by parental interview, paediatrician completed questionnaire, and hospital admission data.

Results: No symptoms were associated with SIDS after adjustment for potential confounders. Illness in the last four weeks as reported by the paediatrician did not differ between cases and controls. Developmental problems and special investigations at any stage of life significantly increased the risk of SIDS (adjusted OR = 2.14 and 2.07). Admission to hospital after the first week of life was associated with an increased risk of SIDS (adjusted OR = 1.88).

Conclusion: Symptoms of infection and illness are no longer risk factors for SIDS in communities such as Germany where few infants sleep prone. The increased risk of SIDS with developmental problems may indicate that infants which subsequently die of SIDS are abnormal or in some way vulnerable.

  • SIDS
  • infection

https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2004.065581

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    Footnotes

    • Funding: The German Federal Ministry for Science and Education supported this study on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome from 1998 to 2003. Professor Ed Mitchell is supported by the Child Health Research Foundation, New Zealand.

    • Competing interests: none declared