A case-control study of smoking and sudden infant death syndrome in the Scandinavian countries, 1992 to 1995. The Nordic Epidemiological SIDS Study.

• To establish whether smoking is an independent risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), if the effect is mainly due to prenatal or postnatal smoking, and the effect of smoking cessation.The analyses were based on data from the Nordic epidemiological SIDS study, a case-control study with 244 cases and 869 controls. Odds ratios were computed by conditional logistic regression analysis.Smoking emerged as an independent risk factor for SIDS, and the effect was mainly mediated through maternal smoking in pregnancy (crude odds ratio 4.0 (95% confidence interval 2.9 to 5.6)). Maternal smoking showed a marked dose-response relation. There was no effect of paternal smoking if the mother did not smoke. Stopping or even reducing smoking was beneficial. SIDS cases exposed to tobacco smoke were breast fed for a shorter time than non-exposed cases, and feeding difficulties were also more common.Smoking is an independent risk factor for SIDS and is mainly mediated through maternal smoking during pregnancy. Stopping smoking or smoking less may be beneficial in reducing the risk of SIDS.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Pediatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Pediatrics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Breast Feeding

Case-Control Studies

Denmark

epidemiology

Female

Humans

Infant

Mothers

Norway

epidemiology

Odds Ratio

Pregnancy

Prevalence

Risk Factors

Smoking

epidemiology

Smoking Cessation

Sudden Infant Death

etiology

Sweden

epidemiology

Tobacco Smoke Pollution

adverse effects

Weaning

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)