STUDY . . . PARENTAL SMOKING LINKED TO INFANT DEATHS

Babies whose parents smoke are twice as likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome than those who live in a smoke-free household according to a study to be published in tomorrow's Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers discovered that the likelihood of a child dying jumped to 3.5 times higher when more than one smoker lived in the house. Increased risk was also linked to the number of cigarettes smoked and to cases when a person smoked in the same room as the infant. The study found no connection between the mysterious syndrome and a baby's sleeping position.