Skip to main content
PMC home page
Archives of Disease in Childhood logoLink to Archives of Disease in Childhood
. 1990 Aug;65(8):830–833. doi: 10.1136/adc.65.8.830

Ethnic differences in incidence of sudden infant death syndrome in Birmingham.

D Kyle 1, R Sunderland 1, M Stonehouse 1, C Cummins 1, O Ross 1
PMCID: PMC1792482  PMID: 2400217

Abstract

Among the 45,204 live births in Birmingham in the three calendar years 1981-3, there were 218 postneonatal deaths, giving a postneonatal mortality rate of 4.82 per 1000 live births. Postneonatal mortality rates were 4.22 for whites, 5.91 for Asians (relative risk 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04 to 1.53) and 8.20 for Afro-Caribbeans (relative risk 1.78, 95% CI 1.25 to 2.55). Among Asians malformations were common (3.36) and sudden infant death syndrome rare (1.18), in contrast to Afro-Caribbeans among whom the rates were 0.66 and 5.25, respectively. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significantly lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Asians and significantly raised risks of SIDS in very low birthweight babies and those with unemployed parent(s). Ethnic differences persisted after controlling for maternal age, social class, and birth weight. Studies of sociocultural differences in child rearing practices are needed and may uncover important aetiological factors of sudden infant death syndrome.

Full text

PDF
830

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Balarajan R., Soni Raleigh V., Botting B. Sudden infant death syndrome and postneonatal mortality in immigrants in England and Wales. BMJ. 1989 Mar 18;298(6675):716–720. doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6675.716. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Black L., David R. J., Brouillette R. T., Hunt C. E. Effects of birth weight and ethnicity on incidence of sudden infant death syndrome. J Pediatr. 1986 Feb;108(2):209–214. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(86)80984-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cameron A. H., Asher P. Cot deaths in Birmingham 1958-61. Med Sci Law. 1965 Oct;5(4):187–199. doi: 10.1177/002580246500500402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Davison W. H. Accidental Infant Suffocation. Br Med J. 1945 Aug 25;2(4416):251–252. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.4416.251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fedrick J. Sudden unexpected death in infants in the Oxford Record Linkage area: the mother. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1974 May;28(2):93–97. doi: 10.1136/jech.28.2.93. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gordon R. R. Postneonatal mortality among illegitimate children registered by one or both parents. BMJ. 1990 Jan 27;300(6719):236–237. doi: 10.1136/bmj.300.6719.236-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gordon R. R., Sunderland R. Equality in death: disappearance of differences in postneonatal mortality between northern and southern regions of England and Wales. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1987 Aug 29;295(6597):528–529. doi: 10.1136/bmj.295.6597.528-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gordon R. R., Sunderland R. Maternal age, illegitimacy, and postneonatal mortality. BMJ. 1988 Sep 24;297(6651):774–774. doi: 10.1136/bmj.297.6651.774. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Griffiths R., White M., Stonehouse M. Ethnic differences in birth statistics from central Birmingham. BMJ. 1989 Jan 14;298(6666):94–95. doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6666.94. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kraus J. F., Greenland S., Bulterys M. Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome in the US Collaborative Perinatal Project. Int J Epidemiol. 1989 Mar;18(1):113–120. doi: 10.1093/ije/18.1.113. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lee N. N., Chan Y. F., Davies D. P., Lau E., Yip D. C. Sudden infant death syndrome in Hong Kong: confirmation of low incidence. BMJ. 1989 Mar 18;298(6675):721–721. doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6675.721. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Milner A. D., Ruggins N. Sudden infant death syndrome. BMJ. 1989 Mar 18;298(6675):689–690. doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6675.689. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Milner P. C., Johnson I. S. Treating mild hypertension. Lancet. 1985 Dec 14;2(8468):1364–1364. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)92659-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sunderland R. Inaccurate coding corrupts medical information. Arch Dis Child. 1985 Jun;60(6):593–594. doi: 10.1136/adc.60.6.593. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sunderland R., Sunderland E. P. Invalid certification of young deaths. Arch Dis Child. 1983 Nov;58(11):867–871. doi: 10.1136/adc.58.11.867. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Terry P. B., Condie R. G., Bissenden J. G., Kerridge D. F. Ethnic differences in incidence of very low birthweight and neonatal deaths among normally formed infants. Arch Dis Child. 1987 Jul;62(7):709–711. doi: 10.1136/adc.62.7.709. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. de Jonge G. A., Engelberts A. C., Koomen-Liefting A. J., Kostense P. J. Cot death and prone sleeping position in The Netherlands. BMJ. 1989 Mar 18;298(6675):722–722. doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6675.722. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Archives of Disease in Childhood are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES