Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) in the early neonatal period: the role of bed-sharing

Abstract

The incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has declined substantially, but the proportion of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) in neonates, <7days old, has increased among all SUDI cases in the first year of life. The aim of this study was to analyze circumstances and common features of SUDI cases during the first 7days of life. Data have been gathered retrospectively from Departments of Legal Medicine in Germany and Austria by using a standardized questionnaire. 19 out of 46 children died within 24h after birth. A possible reason for this could be a lack of awareness of the needs of the newborn on the part of an exhausted mother. Fifty-two percent of the incidents occurred while the mother and her newborn were still hospitalized in a birth clinic. Forty-eight percent of the infants had been sleeping in the parents' bed with mother and/or father. In 11% of the cases, there was a sofa-sharing situation. Bed-sharing seems to increase the risk for SIDS in the newborn period as well as the risk for accidental suffocation/asphyxia of the baby. Therefore, mothers should not be instructed to bed-share. Particularly during the first 24h after birth, it may be advisable to check mothers and infants regularly.