Study and prevention of sudden infant death: An experience in the Valencian Community

Abstract

Introduction: The sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the first cause of death in the first year of life. In addition to the of San Diego definition, the autopsy must be complemented with clinical data and examination of the circumstances of death.

Objective: To apply this classification in cases of sudden infant death.

Method: Multidisciplinary study in 109 infants who died suddenly between September/2006 and December/2015 and who were admitted to the Institutes of Legal Medicine of the Valencian Community in Spain. An examination of the involved place, collection of perinatal data, epidemiological survey and judicial autopsy with complementary studies were carried out.

Results: From the 109 cases, 60 males and 49 females, 53 (48.6%) were diagnosed as SIDS: 6 IB category, 47 II category (36 with risk factor of accidental suffocation with 19 co-sleeping, 13 prones and 1 with both), 46 cases (42.2%) were due to an explained cause of death (54.4% by infectious diseases, 30.4% heart diseases, 2.2% neonatal hemochromatosis and immunodeficiency, 4.3% congenital malformations and, 2.2 % violent death) and 10 cases (9.2%) of undetermined cause. The average age at death was of 3.53 months. The higher incidence of co-sleeping in SIDS took place at 2 months, of prone position to 4, and most cases presented during the winter.

Conclusions: The multidisciplinary study of sudden infant death provides key information for classifying it by categories and for confirming the presence of risk factors, enabling to focus the prevention measures and the family cardiological study.