Вопросы современной педиатрии (Jun 2019)

The Prevalence of Symptoms of Life-Threatening Events in Infants of the First Year of Life: a Cross-Sectional Population Study

  • Natalya N. Korableva,
  • Ekaterina N. Pershina,
  • Vladimir A. Gusev

DOI
https://doi.org/10.15690/vsp.v18i2.2013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 2
pp. 109 – 117

Abstract

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Background. The prevalence of symptoms of life-threatening events in infants was previously studied using hospital data. However, not all parents in the event of such symptoms seek medical help in the hospital.Objective. Our aim was to identify the prevalence and risk factors of life-threatening events in infants in the first year of life.Methods. In the period from November 2017 to February 2018, we interviewed mothers who have children in their second year of life who are registered at children's outpatient clinics in Syktyvkar. Respondents noted episodes of absent, infrequent or irregular breathing, blanching or cyanosis of the skin, changes in muscle tone (hypo- or hypertonia), changes in the level of responses that occurred in infancy. The prevalence of symptoms of life-threatening events was estimated based on the total number of infants in the first year of life (n = 3088) who lived in Syktyvkar as of January 1, 2018.Results. At least one symptom of life-threatening events in infancy was reported by 43 (4.3%) of the 1001 mothers surveyed. The prevalence of symptoms was 429.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 321–574] per 10,000 children of the corresponding age. Independent predictors of life-threatening events in children of the first year of life were sudden deaths of relatives under the age of 50 years [odds ratio (OR) 2.4; 95% CI 1.1–5.3], cases of pre-syncope or syncope in relatives (OR 4.4, 95% CI 2.1–9.0), artificial feeding of infants (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.5–11.2). The sensitivity of the model, which took into account the presence of at least one of the three predictors, was 19% (8/43), specificity — 99% (2/958).Conclusion. The issue of the occurrence of life-threatening events in an infant can impact every 25th family. In every fifth infant, the occurrence of symptoms of life-threatening events can be predicted based on risk factors.

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