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Updated: Jul 26, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Pattern of illnesses before cot deaths

A N Stanton, J R Oakley

    Archives of Disease in Childhood
    |November 1, 1983
    PubMed

    Insights

    Babies who died unexpectedly were more likely to have had prior hospital admissions than controls. These admissions often indicated underlying family issues, suggesting a need for further investigation into infant mortality causes.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatrics
    • Public Health
    • Child Development

    Background:

    • Understanding reasons for infant hospitalization is crucial for preventing postneonatal mortality.
    • Previous hospital admissions may serve as indicators for infants at higher risk of unexpected death.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To analyze and compare hospital referral reasons for infants who later died unexpectedly versus control infants.
    • To identify factors contributing to increased hospital admissions in infants experiencing unexpected mortality.

    Main Methods:

    • Retrospective analysis of hospital referral reasons for 147 infants in a postneonatal mortality study.
    • Comparison with 104 control infants regarding prior hospital admissions and reasons.

    Main Results:

    • 16% of infants who died unexpectedly had prior hospital admissions, compared to only 28 controls.
    • Excess admissions in the deceased group were linked to acute infections, loss of consciousness, suspected child abuse, and non-organic failure to thrive.
    • Infants who died unexpectedly had longer average hospital stays and higher rates of multiple admissions.

    Conclusions:

    • Prior hospital admissions can be significant indicators of underlying issues in infants at risk of unexpected death.
    • The findings highlight the potential for early identification of family problems through hospital admission records.
    • Unexplained apnea and 'near miss' cot deaths may not fully represent models for investigating most unexpected infant deaths.

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