SUDDEN-INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME IN ABORIGINAL AND NONABORIGINAL INFANTS

This study, based on routinely recorded data, was designed to compare the epidemiology of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants in Western Australia (WA). All cases of SID S occurring in infants born in WA from 1980 to 1988 were included in t he study. There were 66 Aboriginal (6.1 per 1000 live births) and 337 non-Aboriginal (1.7 per 1000 live births) infants who died from SIDS. It was found that there was a significant linear increase in the Abori ginal SIDS rate over the study period while the non-Aboriginal rate re mained relatively constant. For non-Aboriginal infants, there was an e levated risk of SIDS for young maternal age, single marital status and male gender but this was not found for Aboriginal infants. There was a significant difference in the age at death distribution for the two populations. Low birthweight and preterm birth were risk factors for b oth Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants. There may be differences in the aetiology and/or classification of SIDS between the two populatio ns.