Numbers of infant deaths in Scotland, with special reference to sudden infant death syndrome.

There has been an increased interest during 1992 in the numbers of deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, because of reports of reductions in the numbers in several countries where changes in advice on infant care had been made. Numbers of infant deaths in general and of those due to the syndrome in particular are described and analysed by some of the variables which are provided at the time of registration. The decline in the number of deaths from the syndrome reported recently by the Scottish Cot Death Trust is supported by the full figures for 1991. This decline probably started about the latter part of 1990, well before the official letters giving advice on infant care that had been associated with a decline elsewhere. It was more marked in some areas of Scotland than others. There appears to be a cyclical pattern in the time-series of the numbers of deaths from the syndrome. Further investigation, both of the cyclical movement and of the recent decline in relation to other variables, would be worthwhile. Deaths in the neonatal period from the syndrome and those from other causes have both declined markedly during 1990 and 1991, after several years when the movements in their numbers seemed to be in opposite directions.