Sudden Infant Death syndrome
Sudden Infant Deaths are the third largest problem of all infant mortality (Knight, B. ... 1986) Statistical evidence in my essay will show some of the possible risk factors that surround Sudden Infant Deaths (SIDS) for the general population, and also show how the disparities not only between Maori and non-Maori is significant but also how the risk factors affect the lower socio-economic groups. ... Epidemiology of Post Neonatal Deaths also confirm that there are geographic, racial and socio-economic differences in the rate of Cot Death, and that within the same geographic area the rates for Maoris are high and Pacific Islanders low compared with other races. ... Further I will offer some possible reasons for the differences in death rates between cultural and socio-economic groups, and explore possible influences of these risk factors. ... SIDS has also been referred to as Cot or Crib Death and /or Sudden Death in Infancy and so to eliminate any confusion with other types of infancy deaths an efficient description has been internationally accepted since 1969 (Seattle, U. ... ) It states “The sudden death of any infant which is unexpected by history and in which a thorough post-mortem fails to demonstrate an adequate cause of death. ... (New Zealand Health Information Service, 2002) ‘An infant death is defined as a live-born infant dying before the first year of life is completed. ... Infant deaths are often further broken down to: Neonatal – Birth to under 28 days, Post neonatal – 28 days to one year. ... Cot Deaths can and do occur in children up to the age of one, but rarely will a child over 12 months die of Cot Death. ... 1986) In 1995, New Zealand ranked 15th of 21 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries for Infant Mortality Rate, mostly due to a higher rate of SIDS, with an incidence rate of 1. ... (Ministry of Health, 1998) In 1984, the Maori infant mortality rate was 1.7 times the Non-Maori infant mortality rate, but by 1994 the gap had widened to 2. ... This meant that a Maori infant is 4. ... (Sprottnews, 2001) These figures were confirmed by New Zealand Health Information Service in the “Infant and Perinatal mortality 1998 and 1999” statistics, showing the Maori rate as 2. ... Adult literacy is possibly one of the most over looked risk factors to life and ‘is also related to infant mortality’ (Tresserras, 1992 cited in National Health Committee, 1998) Research therefore suggests there is a direct correlation between the level of literacy and SIDS and this would indicate that literacy is a fundamental factor for people making healthy life choices as an adult in health related behaviours. ... 1993) Cot Death among Maori infants were linked to higher rates of low socio-economic status. ... He states that since 1993 a nationwide mattress wrapping campaign for cot death prevention has been conducted. Since the commencement of the campaign, the New Zealand cot death rate has fallen by 48 percent and the Pakeha rate by an estimated 70 percent. “These reductions cannot be attributed to orthodox cot death prevention advice,’ said Dr Sprott.