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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pediatrics. 2023 Jan 1;151(1):e2022057771. doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-057771

TABLE 3.

Associations Between Sleep Environment Characteristics and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Outcomes; Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Case Registry and Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2016 to 2017

Sleep-Related Suffocationb
Unexplained Infant Deathc
Controls, (N = 448) (%) Cases, (N = 112) (%) Crude Exposure Odds Ratio, (95% CI) Adjusted Exposure Odds Ratioa, (95% CI) Controls, (N = 1200) (%) Cases, (N = 300) (%) Crude Exposure Odds Ratio, (95% CI) Adjusted Exposure Odds Ratioa, (95% CI)
Sleep position
 On back 76.1 51.8 Reference Reference 77.5 63.7 Reference Reference
 Not on back 21.0 45.5   3.2 (2.1–4.9)   1.9 (0.9–4.1) 18.1 32.7   2.2 (1.7–2.9)   1.6 (1.1–2.4)
Soft bedding use
 No 45.8   9.8 Reference Reference 42.9 14.0 Reference Reference
 Yes 50.0 89.3   8.3 (4.3–15.9) 16.3 (5.0–53.3) 51.3 83.7   5.0 (3.5–7.1)   5.0 (3.2–8.0)
Sleep surface
 Crib, bassinet, or portable crib 33.3 15.2 Reference Reference 32.8 27.3 Reference Reference
 Not in a crib, bassinet, or portable crib 62.3 84.8   3.0 (1.7–5.2)   3.9 (1.4–10.4) 62.1 72.0   1.4 (1.1–1.8)   1.0 (0.7–1.6)
Room sharing with a caregiver
 Yes 79.9 65.2 Reference Reference 75.8 65.7 Reference Reference
 No 16.1 33.9   2.6 (1.6–4.1) 18.7 (6.8–51.3) 19.4 31.3   1.9 (1.4–2.5)   7.6 (4.7–12.2)
Surface sharingd
 No 59.8 43.8 Reference Reference 59.5 44.7 Reference Reference
 Yes 37.5 55.4   2.0 (1.3–3.1)   2.5 (1.1–6.0) 36.5 54.0   2.0 (1.5–2.6)   2.1 (1.4–3.2)

Missing proportions were <5% for all predictors.

a

Adjusted for all other listed sleep practices, infant age at the time of survey or death, gestational age at birth, infant sex, plurality, season of survey or death, race or ethnicity, ever breastfed, maternal age, insurance, number of live births, maternal smoking, use of prenatal care.

b

Cases categorized as sleep-related suffocation per the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Case Registry classification system: complete scene investigation and autopsy information with strong evidence of suffocation (eg, report of full obstruction of nose and mouth or external compression of the neck or chest) together with a reliable, nonconflicting witness account and no potentially fatal findings or other concerning medical conditions.

c

Cases categorized into 1 of 3 unexplained infant death groups per the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Case Registry classification system: (1) no unsafe sleep factors (sudden deaths with complete scene investigation and autopsy information with no unsafe factors documented in the sleep environment); (2) unsafe sleep factors (sudden deaths with complete scene investigation and autopsy information that could not be explained with documentation of unsafe factors in the sleep environment); or (3) possible suffocation with unsafe sleep factors (sudden deaths with complete scene investigation and autopsy information with documented unsafe factors in the sleep environment and evidence of airway obstruction, but lacking all criteria for strong evidence of suffocation).

d

Among those sharing a sleep surface, only 3 were sharing with an animal, and the rest were sharing with another person.