TABLE 3.
Type of Evidence or Factors That Participants Reported Might Cause Them to Make a Cause-of-Death Determination of Suffocation, Overlay, Wedging, and Neck Compression or Hanging
| Weighted | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Cause of Death and Evidence Type | % (95% CI) |
| Suffocation (obstruction of the mouth and nose) | |
| Blanched lividity consistent with nose and mouth obstruction | 80.8 (69.9–88.4) |
| Statement that infant’s nose and mouth were obstructed | 78.1 (66.3–86.6) |
| Infant laying on pillows or soft bedding | 74.3 (63.4–82.8) |
| Positive signs of asphyxia | 68.7 (57.9–77.9) |
| Doll re-enactment showing that nose and mouth were obstructed | 65.1 (53.6–75.0) |
| Foamy/bloody fluid on object that obstructed nose and mouth | 64.0 (53.1–73.6) |
| No other competing cause of death | 25.7 (18.0–35.4) |
| Other | 8.4 (4.5–14.9) |
| No response | 8.7 (3.3–21.1) |
| Overlay | |
| Statement from bed-sharer that overlay occurred | 81.0 (68.8–89.2) |
| Lividity pattern consistent with reported circumstances | 78.4 (66.8–86.8) |
| Sharing a sleep surface | 76.8 (66.0–85.0) |
| Positive signs of asphyxia | 74.7 (64.2–82.9) |
| Doll re-enactment that shows overlay position | 67.4 (55.9–77.2) |
| Intoxicated bed-sharer | 66.8 (53.7–77.7) |
| Overweight adult or older child bed-sharer | 54.8 (43.1–66.0) |
| No other competing cause of death | 25.3 (17.8–34.5) |
| Other | 9.1 (5.1–15.8) |
| No response | 8.5 (3.1–21.0) |
| Wedging | |
| Infant body still in wedged position | 87.8 (76.0–94.2) |
| Lividity pattern consistent with reported circumstances | 78.1 (66.4–86.5) |
| Positive signs of asphyxia | 71.4 (60.8–80.1) |
| Doll re-enactment that indicates probable wedging | 69.6 (58.5–78.8) |
| Inebriation of adults | 36.3 (27.0–46.6) |
| No other competing cause of death | 26.4 (18.7–35.9) |
| Other | 9.1 (5.1–15.9) |
| No response | 8.2 (3.0–20.9) |
| Neck compression/hanging | |
| Infant body still in compressed/hanged position | 88.1 (76.3–94.5) |
| Ligature or other compression marks on neck | 84.5 (73.2–91.6) |
| Lividity pattern consistent with reported circumstances | 75.7 (64.3–84.4) |
| Positive signs of asphyxia | 73.8 (63.2–82.3) |
| Doll re-enactment that indicates probable neck compression/hanging | 64.6 (53.2–74.6) |
| No other competing cause of death | 22.6 (15.6–31.7) |
| Other | 8.8 (4.8–15.6) |
| No response | 8.1 (2.8–20.8) |
Respondents could select >1 response, so percentages may sum to a number >100%. The survey had a total of 377 respondents.