The HSE is investigating if there is currently a link between families in homelessness and direct provision and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Ireland.
The occurrence of SIDS, which is one of the leading causes of infant mortality, has lowered across the country in the last 30 years. However, it is still the second highest cause of death for newborns in the first six weeks of their life. Between 2019 and 2021, the HSE found that SIDS was a factor in 27% of newborn babies’ deaths.
Now, the HSE has confirmed that they are in the early stages of conducting an investigation into whether children who are homeless or in direct provision are at a higher risk of SIDS.
Addressing the ongoing investigation, a spokesperson for the HSE explained that “socioeconomic inequalities have long been a feature of SIDS epidemiology globally and have been documented in Ireland.”
“The child health team is currently exploring datasets available to further investigate whether these socioeconomic inequalities persist and whether SIDS disproportionately affects infants from marginalised families living in Ireland,” they continued.
“Families living in direct provision centres and emergency accommodation would be considered marginalised and would be included. We are very much at the preliminary stages, trying to understand what data would be available to look at this further,” they added.
While there is no specific data available on the ages of children who have died in emergency accommodation in Ireland, medical experts have previously warned that a lack of a permanent home can increase risks to a child’s health.
Homeless children regularly suffer from malnutrition, and their lack of a stable routine can also pave the way for delays to their development.
In 2022, the International Protection Accommodation Services confirmed that there have been 121 deaths in direct provision since 2002. Of those, 22 deaths were children aged two years or younger. The report also found seven confirmed cases of SIDS.
