PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - C McGarvey
AU  - M McDonnell
AU  - K Hamilton
AU  - M O’Regan
AU  - T Matthews
TI  - An 8 year study of risk factors for SIDS: bed-sharing versus non-bed-sharing
AID  - 10.1136/adc.2005.074674
DP  - 2006 Apr 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood
PG  - 318--323
VI  - 91
IP  - 4
4099  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/91/4/318.short
4100  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/91/4/318.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child2006 Apr 01; 91
AB  - Background: It is unclear if it is safe for babies to bed share with adults. In Ireland 49% of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases occur when the infant is bed-sharing with an adult. Objective: To evaluate the effect of bed-sharing during the last sleep period on risk factors for SIDS in Irish infants. Design: An 8 year (1994–2001) population based case control study of 287 SIDS cases and 831 controls matched for date, place of birth, and sleep period. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by conditional logistic regression. Results: The risk associated with bed-sharing was three times greater for infants with low birth weight for gestation (UOR 16.28 v 4.90) and increased fourfold if the combined tog value of clothing and bedding was ⩾10 (UOR 9.68 v 2.34). The unadjusted odds ratio for bed-sharing was 13.87 (95% CI 9.58 to 20.09) for infants whose mothers smoked and 2.09 (95% CI 0.98 to 4.39) for non-smokers. Age of death for bed-sharing and sofa-sharing infants (12.8 and 8.3 weeks, respectively) was less than for infants not sharing a sleep surface (21.0 weeks, p<0.001) and fewer bed-sharing cases were found prone (5% v 32%; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Risk factors for SIDS vary according to the infant’s sleeping environment. The increased risk associated with maternal smoking, high tog value of clothing and bedding, and low z scores of weight for gestation at birth is augmented further by bed-sharing. These factors should be taken into account when considering sleeping arrangements for young infants.