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. 2018 Aug 23;15(1):e12652. doi: 10.1111/mcn.12652

Table 1.

Comparison of selected world populations by SIDS rates, SUID rates, and selected risk factors

Population SIDS, ASSB per 1,000 live births (2002–2010) SUID per 1,000 live births (2002–2010) SIDS per 1,000 live births (most recent government figures) SUID per 1,000 live births (most recent government figures) Preterm birth (%) (2010) Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (2013) Any breastfeeding at 6 months (%) Pregnancy smoking rate (%) (2010), female smoking rate (%) (2015) Gini coefficient and quintile ratios per nation, (2010–2015) Bedsharing as a cultural norm, at least sometimes (%) Supine sleep as a cultural norm (%) Alcoholic liver cirrhosis mortality in females per 100,000 Comments
Australia 0.31, 0.32 0.50 0.32 (2010), 0.07 (2015) n/a 7.6 3.4 56 (2011), 60.1 (2010) 11.7, 13.1 (male 16.7) 34.9, 6.0 30 (Brisbane) No recent data available 2.0 (2010)
Australian Aborigine/Torres Strait Islander (2.8% population) n/a n/a 0.6 (2008–2012) 1.2 (2008–2012) 12.6 (low birthweight, 2011) 6.2 (2008–2012) 45.4 (2010) 49.3, 42 (2012–2013) 40 (South Australia) 8 (Perth) 20.3 (2008–2012, both sexes, “alcohol‐related disease”)
Australian non‐Aboriginal n/a n/a 0.2 (2008–2012) 0.4 (2008–2012) 6.0 (low birthweight, 2011) 3.7 (2008–2012) 60.3 (2010) 12.1, extrapolate to 17.3 (2012–2012) (percentage of nonindigenous 18‐ to 24‐year‐olds) 30 (Brisbane) No recent data available 3.9 (2008–2012, both sexes, “alcohol‐related disease”)
Canada 0.33, 0.03 0.45 0.24 (2010), 0.06 (2013) n/a 7.8 4.6 30 (2011–2012) 10.5–23, 12.2 (male 17.7) (18.3 in 2006–2010) 33.7, 5.8 23 (Manitoba) 77 3.3 (2012)
Indigenous Canadians (4.9% population: 58% First Nation, 35% Métis, 3.9% Inuit) SIDS 2004‐06: First Nation 2.2, Inuit 2.5 5.7–6.1 (1999–2011) Inuit in Nunavut 2.0 (2004–2006) Does not collect 8.7 (2004–2006), First Nation 8.2, Métis 6.3, Inuit 11.4 9.6 (2004–2006), First Nation 7.5, Métis 7.1, Inuit 9.9 Initiation (2007–2010)–60.2–78.2 Female smoking rates: 39.4‐59.3 (Northern Territories 2006 and 2010); 34.2 (Métis), 39.1 (First Nation), 48.9 (Inuit) (2006–2010). Inuit women 73.6 (2012) 58–63 (Inuit), 100 among breastfeeding First Nation mothers (British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario) 38‐46 (Inuit Nunavut) n/a In First Nation families, family beds are common. Sofa sharing with fathers was described. Family beds may be piled high with blankets to stave off cold.
Canadian nonindigenous 2004‐06 SIDS: 0.3 n/a 0.3 (2004–2006) Does not collect 6.7 (2004–2006) 4.4 (2004–2006) Initiation 87.8 (2007–2010) Nonindigenous pregnancy not known, 17.6 (2006–2010) 23 (Manitoba) 77 n/a
Japan 0.20, 0.06 0.60 0.1 (2015) n/a 5.9 2.1 63 (2009) 5.1, 10.6 (male 33.7) 32.1, 5.4 37 (Tokyo/Yokahama). Likely underestimate: as only 16.9% pre‐school children have their own bed 97 1.8 (2012) Note high male smoking rate; families sleeping together and sibling bedsharing are common. Sleeping on futons is common.
The Netherlands 0.10, 0.02 0.19 0.09 (2013), 0.04 (2015) n/a 8.0 3.3 32 (2006–2008) 6.2, 23.9 (male 26.2) 28.0, 4.5 40.4 84.6 1.7 (2012)
NZ 0.62, 0.34 1.01 (1.02 per NZ government) 0.30 (2012–14) 0.75 (2014) 7.6 (7.4 per NZ government) 5.2 5.7 (2014) 60 (2006), 26% exclusive/full (2014) 18.4, no female data 33.5 (2010–2014, NZ government Gini) 19 (Dunedin) 72 (Auckland) 1.4 (2012), hazardous drinking, female 11.7%/male 27.2%
NZ Māori (14.9% of population) 1.64 2.30 (SUID per NZ government) 0.45 (2012–14) 1.82 (2014) 8.1 7.2 (2014) 16% exclusive/full (2014–2015) 31.6 (2009–2010), no female data 67.2 (includes Wahakura and Pepi‐Pod) No data Hazardous drinking, female 18.8%/male 34.3%
NZ non‐Māori 0.39 0.51 (SUID per NZ government) 0.24 (2012–14) 0.34 (2014) 7.2 5.1 (2014) 30% exclusive/full (2014–2015) 6.8 (2009–2010) European, no female data 19 (Dunedin) No data European female 11.6%/male 27.5%
Sweden 0.17 (2002–2011), ASSB rate too low to be reliable 0.34 (2002–2011) 0.18 (2013), 0.22 (2015) n/a 5.9 2.4 52 (2010) 4.9, 20.8 (male 20.4) 27.3, 4.2 65 (Stockholm), 44.2; 87.1 if breastfeeding (2012–2014) 84.4 2.0 (2012)
United Kingdom 0.28 (England and Wales), 0.02 0.45 (England and Wales) 0.18 (2014), 0.17 (2015) (England and Wales) 0.31 (2014), 0.27 (2015) (England and Wales)—See notes 7.8 3.9 34 (2005–2010) 12, 18.4 (male 19.9) 32.6, 5.3 32 (Scotland), 56 among breastfeeding, 84.4 (Bradford) 94.3 (White Bradford), 81.6 (Pakistani immigrants Bradford) 5.5 (2012)
United States 0.54 (0.53 CDC), 0.14 0.95 (0.95 CDC) 0.39 (2014) 0.87 (2014) 12.0 5.8 (2014) 49 (2011) 10.0, 13.6 (male 18.1) 41.1, 9.1 61.4 (24.4 often/always) 78.4 4.4 (WHO 2012), 3.9 (CDC 2010–2014)
U.S. Blacks (13.3% of population) 1.01, 0.32 1.88 0.67 (2014) 1.85 (2014) 17.1 10.9 (2014) 35 (2011) 8.5, 13.3 76.4 (35.3 often/always) 62.4 2.6 (2010–2014) Data suggest more common use of sofa‐sharing compared with Whites. High rates of second‐hand smoke.
U.S. AI/AN (1.3% of population) 1.17, 0.33 2.15 0.88 (2014) 1.92 (2014) 13.6 7.7 (2014) 37 (2011) 17.1, 24.0 83.9 (56.1 often/always) 80.2 26.0 (2010–2014)
U.S. Whites (76.9% of population) 0.53, 0.14 0.90 0.39 (2014) 0.82 (2014) 10.8 4.9 (2014) 52 (2011) 13.9, 16.0 52.7 (17.5 often/always) 83.9 3.4 (2010–2014)
U.S. Hispanic (17.8% of population) 0.28, 0.06 0.53 0.24 (2014) 0.54 (2014) 11.8 5.0 (2014) 48 (2011) 2.0, 7.1 66.7 (28.7 often/always) 73.5 2.7 (2010–2014)
U.S. Asian/Pacific Islander (Asian 5.7%; PI 0.2% of population) 0.23, 0.05 0.41 0.15 (2014) 0.29 (2014) 10.7 3.7 (2014) 71 (2011, Asian only) 1.3, 2.6 (Asian only) 76.8 (37.0 often/always) 79.2 0.5 (2010–2014)

General notes

  • AI/AN: American Indian/Alaskan Native; ASSB: Accidental Suffocation and Strangulation in Bed; CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; ICD: 10th Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases; n/a: not available; NZ: New Zealand; PI: Pacific Islander; SIDS: sudden infant death syndrome; SUID: sudden unexpected infant death; WHO: World Health Organization.
  • 2002–2010 data came from Taylor et al. (2015) for Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (England and Wales), and the United States (overall). Sweden's data (2002–2011) came from Möllborg, Wennergren, Almqvist, and Alm (2015). NZ data were calculated from Ministry of Health (2017a) using NZ government's definition of SUID, which is not spelled out. U.S. subpopulation data were calculated using the exact SUID ICD‐10 definitions used by Taylor et al. (2015) using the CDC WONDER database using linked birth/death data (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & National Center for Health Statistics, 2017).
  • Recent government European SIDS rates came from Eurostat (2018).
  • Most infant mortality data came from WHO (2015), except for subpopulations in the United States, NZ, and Canada.
  • Preterm birth by country (2010) came from a joint report from the WHO (March of Dimes, PMNCH, Save the Children, & World Health Organization, 2012), except for subpopulations.
  • Breastfeeding rates came from the appendix to Victora et al. (2016), unless otherwise specified for subpopulations.
  • Most tobacco data came from WHO (2016), except for subpopulations.
  • Gini coefficient and quintile ratios (indexes of income inequality) came from the United Nations Human Development Report 2016 (Jahan, Jespersen, & Human Development Report 2016 Team, 2016).
  • Bedsharing at 3 months (Nelson et al., 2001) unless otherwise specified.
  • Supine sleep data are reported by individual populations (see countries below).
  • Mortality of alcohol use disorders of adult females came from WHO (2014) unless otherwise stated. It is calculated by taking using listed rates in their tables for age standardized death rates for liver cirrhosis and multiplying it by the alcohol attributable fraction of liver cirrhosis. See separate note for the United States.

Australian notes

  • Australian Aboriginal population data came from the 2016 Australian census.
  • Australian SUID in Aborigines and non‐Aborigines was defined as SIDS plus “signs, symptoms, and ill‐defined conditions” in the Australian Government Report for 2012–2013, which would imply R99 but not W75.
  • Preterm data were not available for Australian Aboriginal infants, but low‐birthweight data came from Australian Government Report, for 2012–2013 (Australian Government & Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2014). This report also supplied alcohol mortality and infant mortality in Australian subpopulations (Australian Government & Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2014).
  • Markedly different rates for Australian breastfeeding at 6 months between 2010 and 2011 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2018).
  • Pregnancy smoking data came from Li, Zeki, Hilder, and Sullivan (2013).
  • Aborigine bedsharing data came from Cunningham, Vally, and Bugeja (2018).
  • Australian Aborigine sleep position data came from Eades and Read (1999).

Canadian notes

  • Subpopulation percentages came from the 2016 Canadian census.
  • 2004–2006 SIDS rates for indigenous and nonindigenous Canadians came from Sheppard et al. (2017).
  • Rates for SUID 1999‐2011 for Inuit in Nunavut comes from Collins et al., 2012.
  • Preterm birth rates for indigenous and nonindigenous Canadians came from Sheppard et al. (2017).
  • 2004–2006 infant mortality rates for indigenous and nonindigenous Canadians came from Sheppard et al. (2017).
  • Breastfeeding rates in indigenous Canadian and nonindigenous include Métis (McIsaac, Moineddin, & Matheson, 2015). Data are extremely sparse and do not appear to be collected routinely for these populations.
  • Pregnancy smoking data came from Al‐Sahab, Saqib, Hauser, and Tamim (2010) for 2006 and Cui, Shooshtari, Forget, Clara, and Cheung (2014) for 2010.
  • Female smoking data for indigenous Canadians came from Physicians for a Smoke‐Free Canada (2013) and Bougie and Kohen (2018).
  • Sleep position in Inuit and Canada and bedsharing data in Inuit and Canada came from Collins et al. (2012).
  • Bedsharing data from First Nation mothers came from Eni, Phillips‐Beck, and Mehta (2014).

Japanese notes

  • Japanese 2015 SIDS rates came from Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare (2016).
  • Japanese pregnancy smoking data came from Yasuda et al. (2013).
  • Japanese supine sleep and smoking rates from 2010–2011 came from Hirabayashi et al. (2016).
  • Data on Japanese pre‐school children having their own bed came from Mindell et al. (2013).

Dutch notes

  • The Netherlands bedsharing and sleep position data came from (van Sleuwen, L'Hoir, Engelberts, Westers, & Schulpen, 2003).
  • Smoking in pregnancy data came from (Zeitlin et al., 2012).

New Zealander notes

  • NZ subpopulation data came from the 2017 NZ census.
  • NZ SIDS and SUID data for 2002–2010 were calculated from Ministry of Health (2017a). SUID was defined by NZ government.
  • NZ SUID 2014 data were calculated by adding R95, R99, and W75 from Ministry of Health (2017b).
  • NZ subpopulation preterm birth data were taken from Ministry of Health (2012).
  • 2014 infant mortality rates from NZ and subpopulations came from NZ government report (Ministry of Health, 2017b).
  • NZ breastfeeding data for 2014 came from 2010–2015 data from Royal New Zealand Plunket Society (2017).
  • Antenatal smoking rates from NZ and subpopulations (2010) came from Humphrey, Rossen, Walker, and Bullen (2016).
  • UN did not publish Gini coefficient or quintile ratio for NZ. NZ Gini coefficient came from Ministry of Social Development (2016).
  • Alcohol use in NZ subpopulations came from Ministry of Health (2004).
  • Sleep position data came from Hutchison, Stewart, and Mitchell (2006).
  • Māori bedsharing data came from Jones, Cornsweet Barber, Waimarie Nikora, and Middlemiss (2017).

Swedish notes

  • Swedish data for 2002–2011 came from Möllborg et al. (2015), as Sweden was not included in the Taylor study. It is unclear if every case of SUID was included. Total live births in Sweden 2002–2011 numbered 762,626 came from Statistika centralbyrån‐ Statistics Sweden (2018).
  • Smoking in pregnancy data came from Zeitlin et al. (2012).
  • Swedish 2010–2014 bedsharing and sleep position data came from Stromberg Celind et al. (2017).

U.K. notes

  • U.K. (England and Wales) SIDS and SUID rates from 2014 and 2015 came from Patel (2017). The description notes they use linked birth/death data for R95 and R99 but do not mention W75. Thus, these may be gross underestimates for SUID.
  • Smoking in pregnancy data came from Zeitlin et al. (2012).
  • Bedsharing data among breastfeeding mothers (at least “intermittently” or “often”) came from Ball et al. (2016), but there was insufficient data for 22% of respondents.
  • Bedsharing and supine sleep data among the Bradford sample came from Ball et al. (2012).
U.S. notes
  • White, Black, AI/AN, and Asian/PI are all “non‐Hispanic.”
  • U.S. subpopulation census estimates came from 2016 census estimates and include both non‐Hispanic and Hispanic (United States Census Bureau, 2018).
  • SIDS rates for 2002–2010 for U.S. subpopulations were calculated from CDC WONDER (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & National Center for Health Statistics, 2017). SIDS and SUID subpopulation data also came from CDC WONDER. SUID for 2014 was defined as R95, R99, and W75.
  • Preterm birth rates in the United States and subpopulations came from US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, & Maternal and Child Health Bureau (2012).
  • SUID rates for U.S. subpopulations 2002–2010 were calculated from CDC WONDER using the same ICD‐10 codes from Taylor et al. (2015): R95, R96, R98, R99, W75, W78, and W79 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & National Center for Health Statistics, 2017). Note, this gave a total SUID rate of 0.96.
  • U.S. subpopulation infant mortality data (2014) came from National Center for Health Statistics (US) (2017).
  • Breastfeeding data from U.S. subpopulations came from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017a).
  • Smoking in pregnancy data came from Child Trends Data Bank (2016).
  • Female and male smoking rates for the United States and subpopulations for 2015 came from Jamal et al. (2016).
  • Bedsharing and supine sleep data came from U.S. Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System data in 2015 (Bombard et al., 2018).
  • Sofa‐sharing data in U.S. Blacks came from mortality data in L. Li et al. (2009) and Unger et al. (2003).
  • Second‐hand smoke data in U.S. Blacks and smoking rates in U.S. subpopulations in U.S. Blacks came from CDC WONDER (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017b).
  • CDC WONDER is the source for 2010–2014, among females, all ages, per 100,000 persons (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & National Center for Health Statistics, 2017). Rates reflect all “Alcoholic Liver Disease” (ICD‐10 codes K70.0, K70.1, K70.3, K70.4, and K70.9) to better approximate the values estimated by the WHO. When just the ICD‐10 code for alcoholic cirrhosis is used, K70.3, the overall U.S. rate was 2.6, far lower than the WHO estimate. Using this code alone, rates for U.S. Blacks are 1.8, for AI/AN 14.6, for Whites 2.9, for Hispanics 2.0, and for Asian/PIs 0.3.