Citation

Cottengim C, Parks SE, Erck Lambert AB, Dykstra HK, Shaw E, Johnston E, Olson CK, Shapiro-Mendoza CK. Matern. Child Health J. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10995-019-02847-9

PMID

31828577

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe infant deaths where a u-shaped pillow was under or around an infant and to describe cases classified as Explained Suffocation.

METHODS: We examined demographics and circumstances of 141 infant deaths during 2004-2015 in the US National Fatality Review Case Reporting System with u-shaped pillows in the sleep environment.

RESULTS: Most infants were < 6 months old (92%), male (58%), non-Hispanic White (53%), and of the nine explained suffocation deaths, four occurred when the u-shaped pillow obstructed the infant's airway; five occurred when the infant rolled off the pillow and their airway was obstructed by another object.

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Although infrequent, infant deaths with u-shaped pillows have occurred. Health care providers may include discussion of the importance of caregivers following infant product packaging precautions and warning labels for commonly used consumer products, such as u-shaped pillows in their advice to caregivers.

Language: en

Keywords

NFR-CRS: National Fatality Review Case Reporting System; SIDS: sudden infant death syndrome; SUID: sudden unexpected infant death; Suffocation