The effect of certain factors on the occurrence of sudden infant death syndrome
Jelić, A.; Pracny, M.; Jelić, N.
Lijecnicki Vjesnik 112(5-6): 148-151
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0024-3477 PMID: 2233110 Document Number: 349200
Although sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been well known for a long time, in our country it has not been registered adequately yet and has seemed not to be present those years. But, it has not been true. A number of predisposing factors make that this phenomenon has a high share in postneonatal mortality, especially in those environments where the infant's mortality rate is low. A pathologist is imperative to establish a diagnosis following not only inadequate clinical picture and sudden death but also uncertain autopsy finding which does not make clear the cause of death in the majority of cases. In this paper, the frequency of SIDS during the epidemic of acute respiratory infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus being the potential indirect cause of the infants' deaths is presented. In 2/3 of cases this have been the infants born with perinatal risk factors and more often they have been males. SIDS has usually occurred at night, during autumn and winter and with infants coming from lower socio-economic and culturo-hygienic environments. In our environment, the frequency of SIDS has amounted to 22% of the total infant mortality rate.