Fetal heart rate patterns and sudden infant death syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To determine differences in electronic fetal monitoring patterns between infants who died of sudden infant death syndrome and controls. DESIGN: Case-control study (N = 127). SETTING: A tertiary-level women's hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. PARTICIPANTS: Infants born between 1990 and 1998 who subsequently died of sudden infant death syndrome and controls. Demographic and clinical data included medical maternal charts and fetal monitoring records. RESULTS: Compared with controls (n = 98), the mothers whose infants subsequently died of sudden infant death syndrome (n = 29) had lower birthweight babies (sudden infant death syndrome 2,840 vs. controls 3,385 g; p < .01), were younger (22 vs. 28 years; p < .01), were more likely to receive Medicaid health insurance (odds ratio 4.6; confidence interval 1.9-11.2), were more likely to be unmarried (odds ratio 5.2; confidence interval 2.1-12.8), had less intention to breastfeed (26% vs. 57%), and were more likely to smoke (odds ratio 4.6; confidence interval 9-11.2). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: There were no statistical differences in fetal heart rate variability or sleep/wake cycles detected between groups. CONCLUSION: Statistical differences were found in demographic characteristics between sudden infant death syndrome mother-infant couples and their controls. However, no differences were detected in the intrapartum electronic fetal monitoring records, specifically in variability and sleep/wake cycles.