A METHOD FOR ASSESSING THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION AND TEMPORAL TRENDS OF THE SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME IN THE UNITED STATES FROM VITAL STATISTICS DATA

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Abstract
Peterson. D. R. (U. of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195), D. J. Thompson and N. M. Chinn. A method for assessing the geographic distribution and temporal trends of the sudden infant death syndrome in the United States from vital statistics data. Am J Epidemiol 100: 373–379, 1974.—This paper describes the rationale and method for a surrogate measure for estimating the incidence of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) indirectly from vital statistics data for comparative purposes. This assessment indicates that geographic factors per se probably have little, if any, influence on the extent of occurrence of this syndrome in the United States. Furthermore, the annual incidence rate of the SIDS inferred from the surrogate, has been remarkably constant in the United States over the period 1951–1969. Additional data from other investigators will be necessary to establish the validity of the proposed surrogate measure which, if supported by other evidence, may prove useful for international as well as intranational comparisons.

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