This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Lipsky, C. L. Articles by Spitzer, A. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lipsky, C. L. Articles by Spitzer, A. R. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Timing of SIDS Deaths in Premature Infants in an Urban Population

Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eric Gibson

Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

James A. Cullen

Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Kathleen Rankin

Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Alan R. Spitzer

Department of Pediatrics, Jefferson Medical College, A.I. Dupont Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Previous reports have demonstrated that premature infants are at greatly increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Although only 9% of infants are born at less than 36 weeks' gestation, 20% of SIDS victims are former premature infants. The objective of this study was to characterize the time course of SIDS in premature infants and to determine why SIDS occurs at such a high rate in this patient population. A database of all cases of SIDS in Philadelphia from 1987 through 1991 was used to establish the time course for SIDS deaths in term and preterm infants. Gestational age was established by Dubowitz exam. To evaluate distinctly different age groups, infants from 32-36 weeks were excluded from analysis. Age at death and postconceptional age of death were compared for both groups. Data are described in weeks (mean ± SEM), and analyzed using unpaired t-test and log-rank test to compare survival rate between term and preterm infants. A significant difference (P<0.01) was noted in age at death of term versus preterm infants. No difference was found in postconceptional age of death. The survival rates were also different (P<0.001). Preterm infants showed a much wider distribution in age of death from SIDS. The term infants followed the classic SIDS curve. By 32 weeks' postnatal age, 95% of all SIDS had taken place in the term group, but only 75% in the preterm group. The age at death for SIDS differs in the preterm infant. These data reinforce the concept of prolonged vulnerability of preterm infants to SIDS. Survival of greater numbers of premature infants makes it increasingly important to focus efforts for SIDS prevention in this group for a longer period of time.

Clinical Pediatrics, Vol. 34, No. 8, 410-414 (1995)
DOI: 10.1177/000992289503400802


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?