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The German case–control scene investigation study on SIDS: epidemiological approach and main results

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Abstract

The present study, which was part of the German SIDS Study (GeSID), enrolled sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases and population controls and obtained objective scene data via specifically trained observers shortly after discovery of each dead infant. Infants who had died suddenly and unexpectedly at ages between 8 and 365 days were enrolled in five regions of Germany between November 1998 and October 2001. Shortly after discovery of each dead infant, a specially trained doctor of legal medicine visited the bereaved family at home. Data were obtained by measurements and observations. Dead infants underwent a standardised autopsy, additional information being obtained by standardised parent interviews. Investigation of the sleep environment and wake-up scene in matched controls followed the same protocol. A total of 52 SIDS cases and 154 controls were enrolled, 58% were boys, and median age of cases vs. controls was 126 vs. 129 days. Risk factors in the sleeping environment were pillow use (adjusted OR 4.3; 95%CI 1.6–11.6), heavy duvets (OR 4.4; 1.5–13.3), soft underlay (OR 3.0; 1.1–8.7), face covered by bedding (OR 15.8; 2.5–102.1) and entire body covered by bedding (OR 35.5; 5.5–228.3). Using a standardised protocol, including objective measurements of the sleep environment and a case–control design, this study was able to confirm many risk factors for SIDS.

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Acknowledgement

The authors wish to thank all those persons who contributed to this study. We are particularly grateful to all parents who consented to be enrolled and who made this study possible. This study was funded from a grant of the German Federal Ministry of Science and Education (FKZ 01ED9401). This observational epidemiological study was approved by the Ethics Committees of all universities involved.

Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare that there are no competing interests.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Martin Schlaud

    Present address: Department of Epidemiology and Health Reporting, Robert Koch Institute, Postfach 65 02 61, 13302, Berlin, Germany

  2. Birkhild Giebe

    Present address: Department of Forensic Medicine Stockholm, The National Board of Forensic Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Social Medicine, and Health System Research, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

    Martin Schlaud & Maren Dreier

  2. Department of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

    Anette S. Debertin

  3. Department of Legal Medicine, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany

    Katja Jachau

  4. Department of Legal Medicine, University of Halle, Halle, Germany

    Steffen Heide

  5. Department of Legal Medicine, University of Jena, Jena, Germany

    Birkhild Giebe

  6. Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Jan P. Sperhake

  7. Department of Neonatology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Christian F. Poets

  8. Department of Legal Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Werner J. Kleemann

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  1. Martin Schlaud
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Correspondence to Martin Schlaud.

Additional information

Werner J. Kleemann is deceased.

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Schlaud, M., Dreier, M., Debertin, A.S. et al. The German case–control scene investigation study on SIDS: epidemiological approach and main results. Int J Legal Med 124, 19–26 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-009-0317-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-009-0317-z

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