Professor Ed Mitchell
SUDI Academic Expert
Auckland University

Ed Mitchell qualified at St George’s Hospital Medical School in London and has worked in the UK, Zambia and New Zealand.

He was the Cure Kids Professor of Child Health Research at the University of Auckland from 2001 to 2015 and is now a Professorial Research Fellow. He has published over 400 original papers, particularly on the epidemiology of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). He was awarded a Doctor of Science for his work on “The Epidemiology and Prevention of SIDS” by the University of London. He has received several awards for his landmark studies of SIDS and in 2009 was made a fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Professor Ed Mitchell answers questions from the community.

What is about bed sharing that causes SUDI?

We believe the mechanism is accidental suffocation. The nose of the baby is soft and can easily be compressed. Also the jaw can be pushed back and occlude the airway. A healthy baby will arouse (wake up) and wriggle, but if mother has taken drugs or alcohol she won’t be responsive to this. Also if the baby has been exposed to smoking when in the womb, the arousal mechanisms are blunted, and the baby may not wake up.

  • smoking
  • bed sharing
  • cause