Doctor ‘has lot to learn on cot death’

Press, 19 December 1989, Page 7

Doctor ‘has lot to learn on cot death’

By

DEBORAH MCHPERSON

Canterbury’s first full-time cot death researcher, Dr Jeff 1 Brown, hopes people* will-' liftPeijjeteliTffi to single-handedly find the cause toithe problem? -- ! ' a ‘ !,v * ‘--Dr Br^fi;'aged"3l ; ,‘'a*pediatwc registiraT' 1 st arted-work J y efeieidHy, but" says :i he : .'ha^' n d lift MlStetWh , beio?g ,v litegftfiilhg j y i afty‘ specific 'projects-next year.' ' His main job would be to provide full-time research into Canterbury’s pressing cot death problem.

He said he could “feel the expectations,” but did not feel pressured by them. “I hope people are realistic." Dr Brown §aid he could understand the concern to find a cause, becauseof, Canterbury’s higlf.cot'dpath rater One. in 140 babies born in the region dies suddenly., from an unexplained cause.

Up until yesterday,* iiObody had been employed full-time to discover the reasons,’ said' Christchurch’s community pediatrition, Dr Rodney Ford. In spite of al! the’theories that seemed to abound, nobody knew what caused cot death; he said. “Research is* a bit like building a tower with blocks. One person will take a Jong time, but lots of people will help it get built quicker. “Hopefully, Jeff’s appointmennt will help attract more efforts into this area.” Before his appointment, Dr Brown was a pediatric registrar in advanced training for his speciality at Northland Base Hospital in Whangarei. ' His appointment is- the-culmi-nation of two years fund-rhising by the" Canterbury ’Cot Death Fellowship Appeal. - - V 1