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Child care practices and cot death in Hong Kong
1Department of Paediatrics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Aims:
To document child care practices in Hong Kong which has a very low SIDS rate of 0.3/1000 live births.
Methods:
Data were collected by interview and postal questionnaires using a protocol developed in southern New Zealand. 195 mothers were recruited at the Prince of Wales Hospital and 100 completed the study.
Results:
81% babies slept in the parents room. 32% shared a bed with parents but only a third were described as being "in direct contact". Only 9% of infants were still breast feeding by 4 weeks of age. 78% of babies slept on their backs, 18% on their sides and 3% on the fronts. Sheepskins were not used and 56/58 described underbedding as firm or moderately firm. At the time of birth only 3% of mothers smoked.
Conclusions:
Certain SIDS risk factors (bedsharing, lack of breast feeding) are common in Hong Kong, whereas others (prone sleep position, soft underbedding, maternal smoking) appear uncommon.