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Sleep-Related Infant Deaths in Victoria: A Retrospective Case Series Study

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Abstract

Background There is general agreement that in some circumstances, sharing a sleep surface of any kind with an infant increases the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy. There is a paucity of research conducted in Australia examining this issue. This study examines the frequency and distribution of sleep-related infant deaths in a defined population, and reports the proportion that occurred in the context of bed-sharing. Methods A retrospective population-based case series study was conducted of infants (≤365 days) who died in a sleeping context during the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2010 in the state of Victoria, Australia. Information about the infant, caregiver, sleeping environment and bed-sharing was collected from a review of the coroner’s death investigation record. Results During the 3-year study period, 72 infant deaths occurred in a sleeping context. Of these, 33 (45.8 %) occurred in the context of bed-sharing: n = 7 in 2008; n = 11 in 2009; and n = 15 in 2010. Further analysis of the 33 deaths occurring in the context of bed-sharing showed that in this group, bed-sharing was largely intentional, habitual and most often involved the mother as one of the parties. Conclusions Given the case series nature of the study design, a causal relationship between bed-sharing and infant death could not be inferred. However the fact that nearly half of all sleep-related deaths occurred in the context of bed-sharing, provides strong support for the need to undertake definitive analytic studies in Australia so that evidence-based advice can be provided to families regarding the safety of bed-sharing practices.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Associate Professor David Ranson, Forensic Pathologist and Deputy Director Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine who provided advice on the factors that should be examined for the Victorian case series analysis. The authors also wish to acknowledge and thank Ms Sarah Gebert for her comments on manuscript drafts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Lyndal Bugeja & Karen Lesley Stephan

  2. Coroners Court of Victoria, Southbank, VIC, 3006, Australia

    Lyndal Bugeja, Jeremy Dwyer & Sara-Jane McIntyre

  3. University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, 4556, Australia

    Jeanine Young

  4. Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Roderick John McClure

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  1. Lyndal Bugeja
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Correspondence to Lyndal Bugeja.

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Bugeja, L., Dwyer, J., McIntyre, SJ. et al. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths in Victoria: A Retrospective Case Series Study. Matern Child Health J 20, 1032–1040 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1888-6

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