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Sudden infant death syndrome and stillbirths in the European countries
https://doi.org/10.21508/1027-4065-2026-71-3-34-41
Abstract
Background. Sudden infant death syndrome remains a critical issue in modern pediatrics. The mechanism of sudden infant death syndrome is described by the “triple-risk” model, which involves a vulnerable infant, a critical developmental period for homeostatic control, and exogenous stressors. Given the concept of competing risks and shared fatal pathways, it can be hypothesized that sudden infant death syndrome is part of a broader category of deaths related to infant vulnerability. In this case, a positive correlation between sudden infant death syndrome and stillbirth rates is expected. Aim : This study aimed to compare the reported sudden infant death syndrome rates in the European countries with the reported stillbirth rates. Materials and methods : Information on the fetal deaths, numbers of total and live born infants in the 28 European countries in 2015 to 2019 was extracted from the Euro Peristat report as of 2022. The numbers of the sudden infant death syndrome cases referring to the same period in these countries were extracted from the EUROSTAT database. Results : Linear mixed-effects regression model found statistically significant positive association between the stillbirth rate per 1000 total births and the rate of sudden infant death syndrome per 1000 live births (fixed effect) with due account to random effects that vary within-countries ( B =0.0637 (95% CI: 0.0307–0.0981), p =0.004). This fixed effect association accounted for 13.6% of the variance in sudden infant death syndrome rate. Conclusion . Sudden infant death syndrome and fetal deaths may share common pathways representing an extended domain of a vulnerable infant.
About the Author
I. A. Kelmanson
V.A.Almazov National Medical Research Centre; Russian Federation St. Petersburg State Institute of Psychology and Social Work
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
197341, St. Petersburg
199178, St. Petersburg
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Review
For citations:
Kelmanson I.A. Sudden infant death syndrome and stillbirths in the European countries. Rossiyskiy Vestnik Perinatologii i Pediatrii (Russian Bulletin of Perinatology and Pediatrics). 2026;71(3):34-41. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21508/1027-4065-2026-71-3-34-41
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