Cot deaths in Australia, 1985.

A survey has been carried out of the pathology of cot deaths in Australia. Infection seems to play a bigger role in deaths in Melbourne than in some other areas such as Western Australia, but a smaller role than in the United Kingdom. The number of subclinical lesions that are found in infants who have suffered a cot death seems to be similar to that in the United Kingdom. The high cot death rate in Tasmania appears to be a truly elevated rate and not due to diagnostic variables. The "possibly preventable" postperinatal death rate in several areas is high. Many individuals are carrying out excellent research related to cot deaths in different parts of the Commonwealth. However, many appear to be working almost in isolation, and a need exists for one or more centres in Australia to carry out and coordinate studies of the background factors and of the pathology of all postperinatal deaths.