Abstract
During 1969-80 infant mortality in Finland decreased from 14.3 to 7.6/1,000 live-born. Postneonatal mortality decreased from 4.1 to 1.7/1,000 live-born until 1979. while in 1980 it was 2.6.
Three hundred and eleven (0.41/1,000 live-born) SIDS occurred during 28 days to eleven months of age. During 1969-79 the incidence was o.25-0.43, and in 1980 it was 0.79, the SIDS percentage being 30.9 of total postneonatal mortality. If so called borderline cases and children dying under 28 days of age were included the incidence was 0.48/1,000 live-born, one of the lowest figures in the world.
Three hundred and three cases and 297 controls were included in the case-control study. Matching was done by sex, birth place and birth date during the collection of the material, although analysis was done unmatched.
One of the most interesting findings was that maternal hemoglobin was lower during the third trimester in case as compared to control pregnancies (p=0.0001).
During the last six years 57.4 % of the case mothers smoked and altogether 76.5 % of the children was exposed to tobacco smoke, while normally in Finland 21 % of the mothers smoked during pregnancy.
The coinfluence of smoking and mild anemia as a possible etiological factor needs further investivations.
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Rintahaka, P. SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME IN FINLAND 1969–80. Pediatr Res 18, 799 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198408000-00048
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198408000-00048