title: Bed sharing is more common in sudden infant death syndrome than in explained sudden unexpected deaths in infancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite its declining incidence, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is still an important cause of death in infancy. This study investigated the environmental circumstances associated with SIDS, by analysing data from all sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI) in Sweden from 2005 to 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  All Swedish infants forensically autopsied up to the age of 365 days from 2005 to 2011 were included. Medical records were obtained from the hospitals and supplementary data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 261 infants, 136 were defined as SIDS and 125 as explained SUDI. The documentation in the medical records was poor when it came to issues such as bed sharing, sleep position, smoking, breastfeeding and pacifier use. The main findings were a significantly higher prevalence of bed sharing in SIDS than in explained deaths (odds ratio 7.77, 95% confidence interval 2.36-25.57) and that prone sleeping was still overrepresented. Bronchopneumonia, other infections and congenital anomalies were the most common causes of explained SUDI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bed sharing and prone sleeping were more common in SIDS than in explained SUDI. Sparse data in medical records were a problem, and the authors are now working with the National Board of Health and Welfare on a project to establish new routines.
authors: Department of Paediatrics, University of Gothenburg, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Per
authors: P
authors: Möllborg
authors: Department of Paediatrics, University of Gothenburg, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Göran
authors: G
authors: Wennergren
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Almqvist
authors: Department of Paediatrics, University of Gothenburg, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Bernt
authors: B
authors: Alm
mesh_terms: D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016684:Prone Position; D012890:Sleep; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
keywords: Bed sharing; Epidemiology; Sudden infant death syndrome; Sudden unexpected death in infancy