Is sudden infant death syndrome a problem in Zimbabwe?

In order to determine the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Zimbabwe, a prospective study was done in infants aged 1 month to 1 year who were certified as dead at home and brought to the accident and emergency department of Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo from July 1992 to June 1993. There were four cases of SIDS among a total of 18,889 registered live births, giving an incidence rate for SIDS of approximately 0.2/1000 (95% CI 0.004-0.4/1000). SIDS appears to be uncommon in black Africans of low socio-economic status in Zimbabwe. Child rearing practices, parental lifestyle and a home environment different from that of Europeans might explain the low incidence of SIDS in the population.