title: Sudden unexpected infant death in Auckland: a retrospective case review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review autopsy reports of all SUDI deaths in the Auckland region, New Zealand, from October 2000 to December 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on all SUDI cases from 2000 to 2009 was extracted from autopsy and police reports from the National Forensic Pathology Service at Auckland Hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 332 post-mortems in this period, 221 were classified as SUDI. Of these, 83% were Māori or Pacific infants. The median age at death was 11 weeks and 11% occurred in 7- to 28-day-olds. At the time of death, 64% overall were bedsharing; this was more common in 7-28 day olds (92%). Bedsharing infants were significantly younger at death than non-bedsharing infants (p=0.008). Where sleep position was known, 57% were placed in non-supine at the last sleep. There was no evidence of diagnostic shift and the prevalence of bedsharing did not change over the decade.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bedsharing was associated with a high proportion of SUDI cases, especially in the youngest infants, and non-supine sleep positions were common. There is a need to enhance SUDI prevention messages and consider innovative ways of promoting safe sleeping environment and supine sleep position in Māori and Pacific communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B Lynne
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Alistair W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Koelmeyer
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Tipene-Leach
authors.forename: Edwin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D001513:Beds; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D012890:Sleep; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology