Sudden infant death is very rare in Sweden, but every year two out of 10,000 babies die suddenly in their sleep without finding a cause.
It has long been known that smoking during pregnancy is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome.
Now a new Swedish study, which is published in the journal Pediatric Research, shows that snus during pregnancy is associated with a more than threefold increased risk of sudden infant death.
- It is comparable to the effects of moderate smoking, i.e. one to ten cigarettes per day, during pregnancy, says Anna Gunnerbeck, pediatrician at Astrid Lindgren's Children's Hospital and researcher at Karolinska Institutet.
Nicotine possible cause
The conclusion is that all nicotine products should be avoided during pregnancy.
- What is the common substance in snuff and cigarettes?
It's nicotine.
The conclusion that can be drawn from the study is that nicotine may be involved in the mechanism behind sudden infant death syndrome.
Snuff use among young people in Sweden has increased sharply in recent years, and the largest increase is among women.
It is the "white snus", which does not contain tobacco but nicotine, which is responsible for the large increase.
That is one of the reasons why Anna Gunnerbeck thinks the study is important.
- Many people choose snus over smoking for health reasons and then it is very important that as a clinician, who works with pregnant and newborn children, they know about these risks.
But also that the public knows that it is not harmless to use nicotine during pregnancy.
Do you snuff or have you snuffed? The pediatrician answers three questions about snuff and pregnancy in the clip.