Young babies at risk of sudden death in car seats

Canadian researchers are warning parents of young babies that the dangers of sudden death exist when babies are seated, and not only when they are lying down.

The researchers say very young babies are particularly vulnerable to sudden death, when seated and babies less than a month old are most at risk.

The researchers led by Aurore Cote at the McGill University Health Center in Montreal, based their findings on an analysis of all sudden unexpected deaths occurring among babies up to 12 months of age in the Canadian Province of Quebec between 1991 and 2000.

During this period 534 babies died but the cause of death was only fully investigated in 508; in 99 cases, the cause of death came to light after further investigation, but in 409 the cause of death remained unexplained.

The researchers found that 17% of the 508 deaths had occurred in babies who were seated, predominantly, but not exclusively, in car seats and ten of these deaths were unexplained.

It was found that though premature babies were not at greater risk, those aged under a month, were almost four times as likely to die suddenly while seated as were older babies.

In the group of unexplained deaths babies under one month old were more than seven times as likely to die while seated.

The authors say their research indicates that the rate of deaths among seated babies is relatively small at just over 3%, and there are no questions about the necessity or safety of car seats, but extra care should be taken for very young babies in any type of infant seat.

The research supports previous studies which also found that very young babies were at risk sleeping unattended in standard car safety seats.

Doctors at New Zealand's University of Auckland examined the cases of 43 local babies who had turned "blue'' from lack of oxygen and had needed medical attention.

They found nine of the babies had been restrained in a car safety seat that was suitable for their age but the baby's head was invariably flexed forward with the jaw pressed down on the chest, which caused a narrowing of the upper airway and led to breathing difficulties.

The research is published online by British journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.