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Modifiable sleep-related risk factors in infant deaths in Cook County, Illinois
Anna Briker1, Suzanne McLone2, Maryann Mason1,2
11Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL USA.
Insights
Sleep-related infant deaths in Cook County are often linked to unsafe sleep practices like co-sleeping. African-American infants and those under 2 months face higher risks, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Mortality
- Sleep Safety
Background:
- Sleep-related infant deaths remain a significant public health concern in the U.S., with approximately 3500 deaths annually.
- Despite an overall decline since the 1990s, disparities persist among various demographic groups.
- Understanding these disparities is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify prevalent risk factors and geographical hotspots for sleep-related infant deaths.
- Focus on infants under 6 months of age in Cook County, Illinois.
- Analyze circumstances surrounding undetermined intent deaths with modifiable risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of infant deaths (under 6 months) in Cook County, 2015-2016.
- Data sourced from the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System (IVDRS).
- Analysis included frequencies, percentages, and Chi-square tests to characterize deaths and risk factors.
Main Results:
- 116 infant deaths were classified as undetermined intent with at least one modifiable risk factor.
- African-American (65.7%) and Hispanic (21.3%) infants were disproportionately affected.
- Co-sleeping was the most common risk factor (66.7%), with deaths concentrated in specific zip codes (29.7%).
Conclusions:
- Unsafe sleep practices, particularly co-sleeping, were present in most infant deaths with undetermined intent.
- Infants under 2 months and African-American infants are at elevated risk.
- Targeted interventions in high-risk geographical areas and populations are essential to reduce preventable infant sleep-related deaths.
Background:
Each year, approximately 3500 infants in the United States die from sleep-related deaths. The number of sleep-related infant deaths has decreased overall since the 1990s, but disparities in sleep-related deaths persist among different populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the most common risk factors and locations in Cook County, Illinois for sleep-related deaths in infants under 6 months of age.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective study among infants less than 6 months of age who died in Cook County, Illinois in 2015 and 2016, in which the manner of death was of undetermined intent with at least one modifiable sleeping risk factor present, as reported by the medical examiner. Data were obtained from the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System (IVDRS), a state-based, anonymous, surveillance system. County trends and circumstances of the deaths were also evaluated. Frequencies, percentages, and Chi-square analysis were used to describe and characterize these deaths.
Results:
In Cook County in 2015 and 2016, 116 infants less than 6 months of age died where the manner of death was classified as undetermined intent. The median age of death was 2 months. Of these deaths, 63 (54.3%) of the infants were boys. African-American and Hispanic infants comprised 71 (65.7%) and 23 (21.3%) of the deaths, respectively. In 84 (72.4%) of the cases, at least one known sleeping risk factor was present and 56 (66.7%) of the infants who died with a known sleeping risk factor were co-sleeping. Notably, 33 (29.7%) of the deaths in Cook County were clustered within six zip codes.
Conclusions:
The majority of infants who died unexpectedly in Cook County in 2015 and 2016 did so in the presence of sleeping risk factors, with co-sleeping being the most common. African-American infants, infants under 2 months of age, and several geographical areas within Chicago appear to be at increased risk. Interventions to target these preventable causes in the populations at increased risk should be instituted to prevent future deaths.
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