POLYSOMNOGRAPHY AS A SCREENING TOOL FOR SUDDEN INFANT DEATH RISK: A "BELGIAN STORY"

In 2003, one in five Belgian infants underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG), representing a social security budget of €9.6 million. We performed a literature review of PSG and an analysis of Belgian social security data. To clarify why so many Belgian infants are tested, an exploratory qualitative study was carried out to understand the perceptions of the parents as well as the viewpoint of caregivers. The literature review clearly demonstrated that PSG cannot predict sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Cardiorespiratory events (CE) or desaturations are increased in pre- or dysmatures, but... Mehr ...