Case-control study of sudden infant death syndrome in Scotland, 1992-5

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Abstract
Objective: To investigate the relation between routine infant care practices and the sudden infant death syndrome in Scotland. Methods: National study of 201 infants dying of the sudden infant death syndrome (cases) and 276 controls by means of home interviews comparing methods of infant care and socioeconomic factors. Results: Sleeping prone (odds ratio 6.96 (95% confidence interval 1.51 to 31.97)) and drug treatment in the previous week (odds ratio 2.33 (1.10 to 4.94)) were more common in the cases than controls on multivariate analysis. Smoking was confirmed as a significant risk factor (odds ratio for mother and father both smoking 5.19 (2.26 to 11.91)). The risk increased with the number of parents smoking (PConclusions: Sleeping prone and parental smoking are confirmed as modifiable risk factors for the sudden infant death syndrome. Sleeping on an old mattress may be important but needs confirmation before recommendations can be made. Parental smoking is currently the most important modifiable risk factor in the sudden infant death syndrome In this study sleeping prone and, to a lesser extent, sleeping on the side increased the risk of the syndrome, so babies should be put down to sleep only on their back Bed sharing with an infant should be discouraged if the mother smokes Sleeping on an old mattress may carry an increased risk

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