Incidences of SIDS increase by 33 percent on New Year

Experts believe that heavy alcohol intake by the respective caretakers is the apparent reason behind the increase.

"We know that when people are under the influence of alcohol their judgments are impaired and they are not as good at performing tasks. This would include caretaking," said David Phillips of the University of California.

Also, a similar increase was observed in the number of SIDS cases after April 20, celebrated as the Weeds Day, and after July 4, also recognized as an inebriated time.

The study details
The study, aimed at revealing the link between SIDS and alcohol consumption, looked at 129,090 SIDS cases from 1973 to 2006.

Three different nationwide data sets known as the computerized death certificates, the linked birth and infant death dataset, and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System were used by the researchers to examine the study data.

In addition to New Year’s Eve or other important days, SIDS and alcohol consumption also increase every weekend.

Moreover, babies of drinking mothers were found to be "more than twice as likely to die of SIDS."

However, the study contains certain limitations, reveal researchers.

"We could not specify the detailed mechanisms and cannot determine whether alcohol is an independent risk factor for SIDS, a risk factor only in conjunction with other factors or a proxy for risks associated with occasions when consumption increases," said Philips.

The findings were published in the journal 'Addiction.'

Little about SIDS
SIDS is the sudden and at the same time unexplained death of an infant, younger than the age of 1, and unrelated to the infant’s medical history and environment.

The syndrome generally remains unexplained even after an autopsy, investigation of the scene and circumstances of the death as well as adequate exploration of the medical history of the infant and immediate family.

Dr. Peter Tesler, the Chief of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Medical Center, says, “There are some theories that the child may suffocate, may get caught underneath something like a soft object, and be unable to move out of a position once they get into trouble. But the absolute physiology behind SIDS cases is still unclear.”

Smoking or drinking during pregnancy, poor prenatal care, low birth-weight, immature age of mothers (less than 20 years), tobacco smoke exposure following birth, overheating from excessive sleepwear or bedding, and stomach sleeping are some of the major reasons leading to SIDS.