Unexpected Causes of Sudden Infant Death
The latest studies have revealed that more than three-quarters of sudden infant deaths are caused by unsafe sleep practices, including bed-sharing, according to the American newspaper “Washington Post.”
The study examined 7,595 cases of sudden infant deaths recorded in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2011 and 2020, and it was found that the majority of deaths occurred among infants under 3 months old.
The statistics from the study indicated that 59.5% of infants who died suddenly were bed-sharing at the time of death, and 75.9% were in an adult bed when they died, according to the American newspaper.
While some demographic factors such as gender and length of gestation were not clinically significant, researchers found that infants who shared a bed were more likely to be Black and have public insurance, according to the newspaper, which stated that sleeping on a soft mattress was among the causes of infant death under study.
Current recommendations urge parents and other caregivers to put infants to sleep on a firm, flat surface with no bedding except for a fitted sheet.
Although room-sharing reduces the risk of sudden infant death, disease control officials do not encourage parents to share a bed with their children, according to the study’s analysis.
One of the factors contributing to “sudden infant death” is exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy, which is more common among infants who shared a bed at the time of death.
Researchers point out that the available data may be incomplete or biased because they rely on witness reports captured in what could be a “chaotic scene,” according to the “Washington Post.”
The study also added that because caregivers did not report reasons for bed-sharing or engagement in unsafe sleep practices, it may be challenging to assist families in following current recommendations.
In general, the researchers wrote, “Bed-sharing in the absence of other unsafe sleep factors was rare.”
