ABANDONING PRONE SLEEPING - EFFECT ON THE RISK OF SUDDEN-INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the long-term effect of a campaign to avoid prone sleeping on the sudden infant death syndrom e (SIDS) mortality rate and on parents' choice of sleeping position fo r young infants. Before the campaign, 64% of infants usually slept pro ne and the SIDS rate was 3.5 (95% CI, 2.64 to 4.36) per 1000 live birt hs. Study design: Population-based ease reference study of infants dyi ng suddenly and unexpectedly at the ages of 1 week to 1 year, and of 4 93 healthy infants between 2 and 6 months of age, starting 4 years aft er an intervention program to avoid prone sleeping. Results: The SIDS rate was 0.3 per 1000 live births (95% CI, 0.05 to 0.54). One of five (20%) SIDS victims usually slept prone, three of five (60%) were place d prone for their last sleep, and were of six were found dead in the p rone position. Of the reference infants, 1.4% were usually placed pron e to sleep, although all had previously accepted a non-prone position. Nearly half of the infants (49.1%) were usually placed supine, 22.7% usually on the side, and 26.8% in variable positions of which 2.0% occ asionally included prone. The side position was the least stable posit ion. After the age of 1 week, 59.4% of infants had been found with the ir heads covered on at least one occasion. Conclusions: SIDS is rare w hen prone sleeping is avoided. Infants at the age of particular risk f or SIDS may spontaneously turn from the side to the prone position, an d they commonly slip under the bedding during sleep.