Very early neonatal apparent life-threatening events and sudden unexpected deaths: incidence and risk factors

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica Vol. 97; no. 7; pp. 866 - 869
• Main Authors: Dageville, C, Pignol, J, De Smet, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2008; Blackwell
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Cause of Death; Death, Sudden - etiology; Emergency and intensive care: neonates and children. Prematurity. Sudden death; Epidemiology; Female; France - epidemiology; General aspects; Humans; Incidence; Infant Care; Infant newborn; Intensive care medicine; Medical sciences; Pregnancy; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Factors; Sudden infant death; Sudden unexpected death in infancy; France; Human; Life-threatening; Pediatrics; Cardiocirculatory arrest; Neonatal; Sudden unexpected death in infancy; Sudden death; Cardiovascular disease; Infant; Epidemiology; Sudden unexplained death; Incidence; Newborn; Risk factor; Sudden infant death syndrome; Early; Infant newborn; Public health; Sudden infant death
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00863.x

Aim: To evaluate the incidence of neonatal apparent life‐threatening events and sudden unexpected deaths during the first 2 h after birth. Methods: A prospective study was conducted over a 1‐year period in all the maternities of the French region of Provence, Alpes, Côte d'Azur, which included all presumably healthy full‐term neonates. Twenty‐three previously published cases were also studied in order to identify possible risk factors. Results: Sixty two thousand nine hundred sixty‐eight live births were recorded over the study period. There were two neonatal apparent life‐threatening events and no neonatal sudden unexpected death. The overall rate of neonatal apparent life‐threatening events and unexpected deaths was thus 0.032 per 1000 live births. Three potential risk factors were identified: skin‐to‐skin contact, primiparous mother and mother and baby alone in the delivery room. Conclusion: A neonatal apparent life‐threatening event or sudden unexpected death during the first 2 h of life is very uncommon. Skin‐to‐skin contact between mother and infant left alone in the delivery room may constitute the main risk situation. This must not lead to reconsider skin‐to‐skin contact that has been proven beneficial and seems per se almost safe, but must induce maternity staff to pay particular attention to a skin‐to skin infant when left alone with its mother.