[Investigation of the causes of infant sudden unexpected death in children younger than one year in Bariloche city and surrounding areas].
BACKGROUND
In the beginning of 2002 there were an unusually high number of sudden unexpected infant deaths. A prospective study was started to determine the cause of unexpected deaths in infants younger than 1 year.


OBJECTIVE
Investigate the possible causes of sudden and unexpected death in infants of Bariloche and surrounding areas, using a protocol created for that purpose.


METHODS
All infants under 1 year of age who died unexpectedly between May 2002 and April 2007 were studied. A complete physical examination, a thorough interrogation to the parents and an autopsy were performed. According to the findings a definitive diagnosis was made on each case.


RESULTS
During the study period 10 infants younger than 1 year died. One case was excluded because the autopsy could not be done. The mean age was 74 days, 6 were males. All died while sleeping and no sign of disease were noticed in any case. In 6 cases, the autopsy findings explained the death. In the 3 others no cause for the death was found.


CONCLUSIONS
The implementation of this protocol allowed to find out the cause of death in 6 cases, that could not have been achieved without the autopsy.
Gil
Leonardo
L
Comité de Auditoría de las muertes infantiles y maternas, Hospital Zonal de Bariloche Dr. Ramón Carrillo, Bariloche.
Herbón
Fabiana
F
Little
Andrés
A
López
Mónica
M
Martínez
Lucía
L
Cancilliere
María del Carmen
Mdel C
D001118:Argentina; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000209:etiology*; D014505:Urban Population