Six of the children were born prematurely, one had congenital syphilis, and one had congenital myotonic dystrophy. Eight infants had documented prior medical problems. Twenty-one (39.6%) infants had recent illness 15 had upper respiratory symptoms, 4 had vomiting or diarrhea, one had thrush, and one had recently had varicella. Of the 53 cases, the mean age at death was 84 days (range, 9– 277 days), with 90% of deaths occurring between 30 and 180 days of age. This study received exemption from review by the institutional review board of Children’s National Medical Center. From those records, demographic information, medical history, location of death, cause of death, and details about the death scene, including the position of the infant when placed to sleep and when discovered and the presence of soft bedding, were abstracted. Information was obtained from death certificates from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City, medical examiner and coroner reports, police and fire department reports, and media articles.( 5) In addition, the CPSC conducts its own investigations into specific cases, which includes interviews with family members and other witnesses.Īfter removing duplicate cases, searches of the three databases provided 53 cases of deaths involving bassinets. These databases have information about deaths and duplicate reports of cases that may provide more details concerning the deaths. Cases were obtained via a search of three CPSC databases: Death Certificate, Injury and Potential Injury Incidents, and In-Depth Investigations. Reporting to the CPSC is voluntary, and can be done by police, fire, and insurance investigators, coroners, medical examiners, health care personnel, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. We performed a retrospective review and analysis of deaths in bassinets occurring between June 1990 and November 2004 that were reported to the CPSC. Use declines with age, and by 5–6 months, <10% of infants are in bassinets (NISP, unpublished data, 2007).ĭespite the high frequency of bassinet use, there are no government safety standards for bassinets or cradles however, the CPSC guidelines stipulate: 1) a sturdy bottom and wide base 2) smooth surfaces without protruding hardware 3) legs with locks to prevent folding while in use 4) a firm, snugly fitting mattress and 5) adherence to the manufacturer’s guidelines regarding maximum weight and size of the infant.( 4) In this study, data collected by the CPSC on individual infant deaths while in bassinets were reviewed to elucidate risks involved in placing young infants in bassinets, and to determine strategies for minimizing those risks. Bassinet use is highest in the first 2 months, when >45% of infants routinely sleep in bassinets. In fact, the percentage of infants sleeping in bassinets doubled to almost 20% between 19. This is somewhat surprising, as 90% of SIDS occurs before 6 months of age and bassinets are more likely to be used in these early months. Little is known about the safety of bassinets, particularly with regards to SIDS risk. Young infants have limited developmental skills and physical strength that place them at higher risk for hypoxia or hypercarbia if the sleeping infant’s face becomes obscured by blankets or stuffed animals, or wedged between the mattress and the crib side, or the infant becomes trapped face down in the bedding.( 2, 3) These included supine positioning for every sleep, a firm sleep surface, avoidance of soft objects and loose bedding, and “a separate but proximate sleeping environment…a crib, bassinet or cradle that conforms to the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.”( 1) In its 2005 policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) expanded its recommendations for a safe infant sleep environment to further reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other causes of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), such as accidental suffocation and asphyxiation.
0 kommentar(er)
