Brain Abnormalities Identified as Potential Factor in SIDS Cases

Babies who suffered from sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, had specific brain abnormalities that researchers could identify.

For decades, researchers have been trying to figure out why some otherwise healthy babies under one year old mysteriously die while sleeping. In the United States, SIDS is the leading cause of infant death, claiming the lives of 103 out of every 100,000 babies.

A new study found that specific brain receptors involved in waking and restoring breathing were abnormal in babies who died from SIDS. The researchers decided to look at the babies’ brains at the molecular level because past research showed that similar kinds of brain receptors in rodents are liable for protective breathing functions during sleep.

In the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, the study was published on Thursday. The researchers compared the brain stems of 70 babies, some of whom died from SIDS and others from other causes.

The lead author of the paper stated that additional research is required despite discovering the differences in the brains of babies.

Robin Haynes, PhD, who studies SIDS at Boston Children’s Hospital, said in a statement that “the relationship between the abnormalities and cause of death remains unknown.”

She said there is no way to identify babies with brain abnormalities, and “thus, adherence to safe-sleep practices remains critical.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests various strides for establishing a protected resting climate for children, remembering placing babies for their backs on a firm surface. Education campaigns targeting parents and caregivers in the 1990s are to a great extent viewed as effective, however, SIDS rates have stayed consistent since the practices became widely used.