Unexpected Death in Infancy

Question 1

what are 5 leading causes of death in children globally?

Answer 1

More than 1/3 of these below in part attributable to malnutrition.

1. pneumonia (18% of all those under 5yrs)
2. pre-term complications
3. diarrhea
4. intra-partum related complications
5. malaria

Question 2

SIDS and SUDI are different. what is the difference?

Answer 2

SUDI is a clinical classification - it needs to be investigated! A significant portion will end up with a diagnosis. SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion once all others have been ruled out - “unexplained SUDI”.
Both are pretty useless terms and best to diagnose a defined condition if possible, ie. cardiac, structural cns, metabolic, accidental injury.

Question 3

which processes were thought to contribute to SIDS?

Answer 3

accident asyphyxiation, infanticide, metabolic abnormalities, structural brain abnormalities causing resp or cardiac dysfunction, cardiac conduction abnormalities, a group who die an apnoeic or cardiac death suddnely

Question 4

which epidemiological initiative drastically reduced cases of SIDS?

Answer 4

educatiing parents to sleep babies on their backs. Rate dropped from 2/1000 —> 0.5/1000.
Those remaining were lviign in poverty and under co-sleeping conditions, parental alcohol or drug use.

Question 5

explain triple risk hypothesis of SIDS?

Answer 5

those true SIDS cases, not those that were eliminated by sleeping on back campaign, are the coming together of:

1. an intrinsic vulnerability
2. a vulnerable developmental stage
3. some external insult that would not on its own be fatal (ie. URTI)

Question 6

why not write a death certificate saying SIDS?`

Answer 6

its illegal! better to investigate a cause (cardiac, neurogenic) than to put sids. pursue coroners report before death cert.