SIDS - CHANGES IN THE EPIDEMIOLOGIC PATTERN IN EASTERN NORWAY 1984-1996

The objective was to analyse differences in the epidemiological patter n of sudden death in infancy during two time periods-the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) 'epidemic': 1984-1989, and the period of rapid decline in the SIDS rate 1990-1996. Sex distribution, age, sleeping po sition, signs of infection, day of the week and place of death were re gistered and compared for the two time periods studied in all SIDS cas es autopsied at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Oslo. There were s ignificantly more deaths in the age group under four months in the per iod 1984-89 than in the second period. Prone sleeping position, signs of infection, death outdoors and during the winter were more frequent during the first period than in the second. These features also were m ore frequent in the age group under four months than in the older babi es during the first period. The shift in the epidemiological pattern a fter 1990, when the risk factor campaign was launched, indicates that prone sleeping position, cold climate, sleeping outdoors and infection s seem to be risk factors that are particularly harmful to the younges t infants. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.