A prospective study of sudden unexpected infant death after reported maltreatment

Emily Putnam-Hornstein; Janet U Schneiderman; Mario A Cleves; Joseph Magruder; Henry F Krous

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.08.073

A prospective study of sudden unexpected infant death after reported maltreatment

J Pediatr. 2014 Jan;164(1):142-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.08.073. Epub 2013 Oct 15.

Authors

Emily Putnam-Hornstein¹, Janet U Schneiderman², Mario A Cleves³, Joseph Magruder⁴, Henry F Krous⁵

Affiliations

¹ University of Southern California, School of Social Work, Los Angeles, CA; University of California, Berkeley, California Child Welfare Indicators Project, Berkeley, CA. Electronic address: ehornste@usc.edu.
² University of Southern California, School of Social Work, Los Angeles, CA.
³ Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.
⁴ University of California, Berkeley, California Child Welfare Indicators Project, Berkeley, CA.
⁵ Department of Pathology, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA.

PMID: 24139442
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.08.073

Abstract

Objective: To examine whether infants reported for maltreatment face a heightened risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other leading causes of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID).

Study design: Linked birth and infant death records for all children born in California between 1999 and 2006 were matched to administrative child protection data. Infants were prospectively followed from birth through death or 1 year of age. A report of maltreatment was modeled as a time-varying covariate; risk factors at birth were included as baseline covariates. Multivariable competing risk survival models were used to estimate the adjusted relative hazard of postneonatal SIDS and other SUID.

Results: A previous maltreatment report emerged as a significant predictor of SIDS and other SUID. After adjusting for baseline risk factors, the rate of SIDS was more than 3 times as great among infants reported for possible maltreatment (hazard ratio: 3.22; 95% CI: 2.66, 3.89).

Conclusion: Infants reported to child protective services have a heightened risk of SIDS and other SUID. Targeted services and improved communication between child protective services and the pediatric health care community may enhance infant well-being and reduce risk of death.

Keywords: ASSB; Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed; CPS; Child protective services; HR; Hazard ratio; SIDS; SUID; Sudden infant death syndrome; Sudden unexpected infant death.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

California / epidemiology
Cause of Death / trends
Death Certificates
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infant
Infant Mortality / trends
Infant, Newborn
Male
Malpractice / statistics & numerical data*
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sudden Infant Death / epidemiology*
Sudden Infant Death / etiology*
Time Factors

Grants and funding

K01-HD05798/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States