Sudden infant death syndrome and perinatal risk factors

AimThis paper examines the incidence and possible prenatal and postnatal risk factors for the emergence of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the Bjelovar-Bilogora County in Croatia.Material and methodsData on epidemiological and public health prenatal and postnatal risk factors in infants who died of SIDS were retrospectively processed for the period between 1st January 1991 and 31st December 2011 in the area of the Bjelovar-Bilogora County.ResultsSIDS incidence in the investigated period amounted to 0.6% (between 1991 and 2001 it amounted to 0.8%, whereas between 2001 and 2011 it amounted to 0.5%). The connection between SIDS emergence and smoking tobacco was confirmed in 80% of cases, death in the prone position in 40%, increased death incidence between the 2nd and the 4th month of child’s life in 40%, time of death in early or late morning in 73.3%, positive heredity in 26.7%, parents’ age above 30 in 60%, multiparity in 33.3%, male sex of child in 73.3% of cases, while socioeconomic conditions and SIDS emergence according to seasons turned out to be statistically insignificant.ConclusionPrenatal and postnatal hypoxic factors were risk of SIDS.