Parental contact with law enforcement in San Bernardino County and death of infants from sudden infant death syndrome SIDS (a case control study)

Previous studies showed that mothers and fathers who had prior contact with San Bernardino County's (SBC) Sheriff Department (CSD) were at higher risk of experiencing SIDS in their offspring. One hundred and fifty-two SIDS cases in SBC during 1991-1997 and 304 controls (infants who survived the first year) identified from the California birth cohort files were matched on similar birth date (15 days before/after birth of case) and birthweight group (normal, low and very low). Personal identifiers of parents were retrieved from local birth and death files and sent to CSD. Law enforcement records of parents were analyzed in 23 categories of exposure types (e.g. suspect, arrest,) and code (e.g. Penal, Health and Safety). Analysis was performed on records of both parents together and also on either parent. Twenty-three parent-pairs (cases) and 18 parent-pairs (controls) had joint exposure to CSD. Either parent of eighty-three parents (cases) and 88 parents (controls) had contact with CSD. If both parents had CSD contact, their infant was at almost three times the risk of dying from SIDS (OR, 2.83, p <0.001, X2 = 10.5, CI, 1.48-5.43). Likewise, if either parent had contact with CSD, their infant was also at almost three times the risk of dying from SIDS (OR 2.95, p <0.0001, X2 = 28.5, CI 1.97-4.42). Infants born to parents where either parent or both parents had contact with law enforcement have an increased risk of dying from SIDS. Collaboration between public health and law enforcement departments could benefit parents and serve to prevent SIDS death.