222 - Preterm Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID): Bridging Public Health and SUID Case Registry Data

Poster Number: 222
Publication Number: 222.1410

Background: Preterm birth ( < 37 weeks gestational age) is a significant risk factor for Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). Each year in the US, about 3,400 infants die from SUID. In Cook County IL, SUID occurs on average nearly once a week. There are large race and ethnic disparities in both SUIDs and preterm births. We accessed public health data on preterm births and utilized SUID Case Registry data to calculate preterm SUID rates in Cook County by race and ethnicity.

Objective: To describe preterm SUID rates by race and ethnicity in Cook County IL from 2019-2021.

Design/Methods: We analyzed data from our Cook County SUID Case Registry from 1/1/2019-12/31/2021 for preterm SUIDs by race and ethnicity. Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) provided resident live preterm birth data by race and ethnicity for Cook County. We calculated preterm SUID rates (cases/100,000 resident live preterm births) for non-Hispanic Black (NHB), non-Hispanic White (NHW), and Hispanic infants. Preterm and term SUIDs in Cook County during this time period were mapped using RStudio.

Results: From 2019-2021, there were 169,249 births in Cook County of which 17,902 (10.6%) were preterm. By race and ethnicity combined groups, the preterm rate was 14.6% for NHB infants; 10.5% for Hispanic infants, and 8.5% for NHW infants. During this time period, there were 141 sleep-related SUIDs, 35 (25%) of which occurred in preterm infants. Preterm SUIDs occurred in 28 NHB infants; 2 Hispanic infants and 3 NHW infants. The preterm SUID rate for Cook County infants overall was 196 per 100,000 live preterm births. The preterm SUID rate (n/100,000) for NHB infants was 472, or 1 in every 212 preterm NHB infants; for Hispanic infants was 40, or 1 in every 2,500 preterm Hispanic infants; and for NHW infants was 55, or 1 in every 1,818 preterm NHW infants. The preterm SUID rate for NHB infants (472/100,000) was nearly twice the SUID rate for all NHB infants (255/100,000).

Conclusion(s): Prematurity compounds SUID risk for all infants but especially for non-Hispanic Black infants, such that 1 in 212 preterm NHB infants died from SUID between 2019-2021 in Cook County. Utilizing Cook County’s SUID Case Registry data and accessing public health preterm birth data for Cook County allows for local preterm SUID rate calculations by race and ethnicity. Describing these disparities creates opportunities to reach stakeholders in public health and maternal-infant healthcare and human services invested in preventing SUID through sharing data and tailoring approaches to support healthy pregnancies and promote safe sleep in this particularly vulnerable population.