Inflammation in the lungs of infants dying suddenly. A comparative study from two countries

Forensic Sci Int. 1989 Jul;42(1-2):85-94. doi: 10.1016/0379-0738(89)90201-6.

Abstract

An investigation of lung tissue samples from sudden unexpected infant deaths from the German Democratic Republic (G.D.R.) (n = 106) and Finland (n = 94) shows the German material to contain 54 cases (51%) with advanced inflammatory changes allowing a definite pathologico-anatomical diagnosis and explanation for the death, whereas there were only 19 such cases (20%) in the Finnish material. Slight changes indicating an inflammatory process but not allowing a definite diagnosis ("borderline cases") were seen in one fifth of the cases in both countries. Thus a greater proportion of the child deaths below the age of 1 year in Finland are real cot deaths than in the G.D.R. where signs of respiratory infection can be found more often.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Finland
  • Germany, East
  • Hemorrhage / pathology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Lung Diseases / pathology
  • Male
  • Pneumonia / complications
  • Pneumonia / pathology*
  • Pneumonia, Aspiration / pathology
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / pathology
  • Sudden Infant Death / etiology*
  • Sudden Infant Death / pathology