Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome in a developing country.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze whether previously identified risk factors for sudden death syndrome have a significant impact in a developing country.


METHODS
Retrospective longitudinal case-control study carried out in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. Cases (N=39) were infants born between 1996 and 2000 who died suddenly and unexpectedly at home during sleep and were diagnosed with sudden death syndrome. Controls (N=117) were infants matched by age and sex who died in hospitals due to other conditions. Data were collected from postmortem examination records and questionnaires answers. A conditional logistic model was used to identify factors associated with the outcome.


RESULTS
Mean age at death of cases was 3.2 months. The frequencies of infants regarding gestational age, breastfeeding and regular medical visits were similar in both groups. Sleeping position for most cases and controls was the lateral one. Supine sleeping position was found for few infants in both groups. Maternal variables, age below 20 years (OR=2, 95% CI: 1.1; 5.1) and smoking of more than 10 cigarettes per day during pregnancy (OR=3, 95% CI: 1.3; 6.4), significantly increased the risk for the syndrome. Socioeconomic characteristics were similar in both groups and did not affect risk.


CONCLUSIONS
Infant-maternal and socioeconomic profiles of cases in a developing country closely resembled the profile described in the literature, and risk factors were similar as well. However, individual characteristics were identified as risks in the population studied, such as smoking during pregnancy and maternal age below 20 years.
Pinho
Ana Paula Silveira
AP
Departamento de Neurologia, Hospital São Lucas, Pontifícia Universidade do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga 6690/706, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. anaspinho@uol.com.br
Aerts
Denise
D
Nunes
Magda Lahorgue
ML
D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult