Infants who die in shared sleeping situations differ from those who die while sleeping alone

To determine whether there are differences between infants who are sharing a sleeping surface with others, compared to those who die alone.

A literature review was undertaken of PubMed and Google Scholar databases using search terms: sudden infant death syndrome, SIDS, co-sleeping and overlaying.

Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in the sex ratios, and in staining of brain sections for β-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL). There were also higher numbers of nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs) in the peripheral blood of infants who died while co-sleeping.

The results demonstrate differences between infants who are sharing a sleeping surface with others, compared to those who die alone. It is likely, therefore, that lethal mechanisms for some shared sleepers are not the same as for SIDS infants sleeping alone, and may involve suffocation.