asked the Minister for Health the number of cot deaths which have taken place each year, for the past five years.
Written Answers. - Cot Deaths.
13.
Accurate statistics are not available on the number of cot deaths occuring annually. This is because these deaths have not until this year been specifically identified in the World Health Organisation's classification of diseases, which is the basis of our mortality statistics.
A special analysis of death certificates for the years 1974 to 1977 has indicated that the number of deaths of infants under one year for which no obvious cause of death was shown was, 75 in 1974; 65 in 1975; 85 in 1976; 108 in 1977. However, for the reason which I have stated, these figures cannot be accepted as giving an accurate picture of the number of cot deaths.