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Used infant mattresses and sudden infant death syndrome in Scotland: case-control study

BMJ 2002; 325 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.325.7371.1007 (Published 02 November 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;325:1007
  1. David Tappin, clinical senior lecturer (goda11{at}udcf.gla.ac.uk),
  2. Hazel Brooke, executive director,
  3. Russell Ecob, research statistician,
  4. Angus Gibson, chairman
  1. Scottish Cot Death Trust, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow G3 8SJ
  1. Correspondence to: D M Tappin, Paediatric Epidemiology and Community Health(PEACH) Unit, Department of Child Health, Royal Hospital for Sick Children,Glasgow G3 8SJ
  • Accepted 23 July 2002

Abstract

Objective: To examine the proposition that a used infant mattress is associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Design:Case-control study.

Setting: Scotland (population 5.1 million, with about 53 000 births a year).

Participants: 131 infants who died of sudden infant death syndrome between 1 January 1996 and 31 May 2000 and 278 age, season, and obstetric unit matched control infants.

Main outcome measures: Routine use of an infant mattress previously used by another child and place of last sleep.

Results: Routine use of an infant mattress previously used by another child was significantly associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (multivariate odds ratio 3.07, 95% confidence interval 1.51 to 6.22). Use of a used infant mattress for last sleep was also associated with increased risk (6.10, 2.31 to 16.12). The association was significantly stronger if the mattress was from another home (4.78, 2.08 to 11.0) than if it was from the same home (1.64, 0.64 to 4.2).

Conclusion: A valid significant association exists between use of a used infant mattress and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, particularly if the mattress is from another home. Insufficient evidence is available to judge whether this relation is cause and effect.

What is already known about this topic

What is already known about this topic The major risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome are sleeping prone and parental smoking

One study has suggested that the syndrome is associated with sleeping on an infant mattress previously used by another child

What this study adds

What this study adds New case-control data show that the association between a previously used infant mattress and sudden infant death syndrome is valid

When source of used mattress is categorised, the association is significant only if the mattress is from another home

Insufficient evidence is available to judge whether this is a cause and effect relation

Footnotes

  • Funding Scottish Cot Death Trust.

  • Competing interests None declared.

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