Sleep practices and sudden infant death syndrome: a new proposal for scoring risk factors.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate sleep practices regarding maternal, infant, and socioeconomic factors in an infant population and to propose a scoring scale associated with high versus low risk of sudden infant death syndrome.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, population-based study.


METHODS
Passo Fundo, Brazil.


METHODS
2,285 newborns.


METHODS
Perinatal information was collected from the city health database, and a questionnaire regarding sleep practices was applied to the de facto mothers. The scale for classification of infant sleep practices in relation to high or low risk of sudden infant death syndrome was based on previous population studies. Cox regression, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were employed.


RESULTS
Application of the score allowed detection of high-risk sleep practices in 42.4% of infants. The following variables maintained association with high-risk sleep practices: 6 or fewer visits in the antenatal clinic (p < .001), maternal age < or = 20 years (p < .001), smoking during pregnancy (p = .041), disease during the first 2 months of life (p = .038), low birth weight (p = .049), and low socioeconomic status (p < .001); 90% of deceased infants and 75% of suspected sudden infant death syndrome cases were regularly exposed to high-risk sleep practices.


CONCLUSIONS
High-risk sleep practices were widely observed in the study population. The significance of this study lies in the future application of this information via public health measures targeted at high-risk populations.
Geib
Lorena Teresinha Consalter
LT
University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS.
Aerts
Denise
D
Nunes
Magda Lahorgue
ML
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012890:Sleep; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires