BMJ 1994;309:1232 (5 November)

Letters

Sudden infant death syndrome among Asians in Britain

EDITOR, - John Knighton and K Knighton comment that much popular literature advises parents to put their babies in positions that may increase the risk of the sudden infant death syndrome.1 Our study of infant care practices among Asians supports the observation that sleeping position and the aetiology of the syndrome are related.2 The fact that the incidence of the syndrome among Asians in Britain is less than half that in the white population3 may be related to our finding that Asian babies are more likely to be placed supine at night.2 In our survey of 374 multiparous mothers (172 Asian, 202 white) we also identified important differences in the sleeping positions favoured by Asian mothers who were born in Britain compared with those born in the Indian subcontinent (table).2 The most recent immigrants to Britain tended to favour the traditional supine position (47%), but this figure decreased with duration . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Definition of the sudden infant death syndrome Keep current definition
E A Mitchell, D M P Becroft, R W Byard, P J Berry, P J Fleming, H F Krous, K Helweg-Larsen, M Valdes-Dapena, J Knighton, and K Knighton
BMJ 1994 309: 607. [Extract] [Full Text]

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