Sudden infant death syndrome in Japan 1995-1998

This study examined the effects of birth characteristics, which reported on birth certificates, on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) based on vital statistics between 1995 and 1998 in Japan. One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine cases of SIDS and 4,787,537 live births were analyzed. The mortality rate from SIDS was 0.388 SIDS deaths per 1000 live births. Based on multivariate analysis using Poisson regression model, risk factors associated with significantly increased SIDS rates included low birth weight, being a male infant, young maternal age, late birth in multiparity, maternal stillbirth experience, residential region of Kyusyu, Tokai or Hokuriku, and employment status as "unemployed or unknown". However, there was no significant difference between single and multiple birth groups after adjusting other characteristics. A decreasing postnatal age of death was observed as birth weight increased. However, there was no difference in postconceptional age of death between birth weight groups. Preterm infants died of SIDS at a later postnatal age than term infants, but there appeared to be little difference in postconceptional age of death amongst preterm infants. This association between birth characteristics and SIDS were consistent with other studies from western countries, suggesting that recommendations for SIDS in western countries are also applicable for Japan.