Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

In a breakthrough, Australian researchers have identified a biomarker that can detect babies more at risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) while..

After losing her son, Damien, to SIDS, Dr Harrington has dedicated her career to finding answers for the condition. "This has long been thought to be the case, but up to now we didn't know what was causing the lack of arousal. However, the rate of SIDS remains high, contributing to almost 50 per cent of all post-neonatal deaths in Western countries.

Australian researchers have found the activity of an enzyme is significantly lower in babies who die of SIDS.

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The Lullaby Trust, which offers specialist support for families bereaved by SIDS and promotes expert advice on safer baby sleep, said that while research is ongoing, the “best advice for all families with infants is to follow the evidence-based safer sleep advice to reduce the risk of SIDS occurring. In the study, researchers wrote, “This finding represents the possibility for the identification of infants at risk for SIDS infants prior to death and opens new avenues for future research into specific interventions.”

Families affected by the tragic condition known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) have spoken out about their experiences after a new study suggested ...

The anxiety of SIDS trickled down to when I had my own children. Last year my cousin's baby also died of SIDS and I just watched it hurt her all over again." "I am thankful that there are people trying to understand what causes SIDS to happen," she added. Another user, Chimmy419, wrote of her brother's death over 40 years ago and the effect it had on her mom. Each year there are about 3,400 cases of sudden unexpected infant deaths in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC), a classification that includes SIDS. SIDS is the sudden, unexplained death of a baby younger than one year of age that does not have any apparent cause.

Researchers believe they may have found the cause behind sudden infant death syndrome. SIDS accounts for more than one-third of sudden, unexpected deaths ...

Doctors have suspected that SIDS may be caused by a defect in the part of the brain that controls arousal from sleeping and breathing, according to the study published on Biospace. They found that babies who died of SIDS had lower activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) than healthy babies. SIDS accounts for more than one-third of sudden, unexpected deaths among infants each year in the U.S.

A study published in eBioMedicine identifies a possible biomarker for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Prof Alastair Sutcliffe, Professor of General ...

First it might be that other researchers do not corroborate this finding and it was a random positive result (I hope not for SIDS sake). Second, it might be that further research corroborates the same finding, in which case there is then an indication to do a full national study. By contrast, we know that smoking in pregnancy increases the risk by 400% – so this is a small risk by comparison. “It is possible that what this study is showing is that infants of mothers who smoke during pregnancy have lower levels of butyrylcholinesterase. So this is not a biomarker at an individual level. It is a preliminary study and we must not overinterpret it. It is significant at the population level but not at the individual level.

Scientists find babies who died from Sids had lower levels of BChE on average, but say link 'needs more investigation'

We look forward to seeing more as this research continues and hope that it helps us understand more about sudden infant death syndrome.” Although the test is not accurate enough to be used in newborn screening, it hints that abnormally low levels of a chemical linked to the brain’s arousal system could be involved in causing these babies to die suddenly in their sleep. Babies with low BChE had a 1.1-1.5 times higher risk of Sids. This could cause vulnerability to Sids, the scientists said. They found that the Sids babies had lower levels of an enzyme called Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), which plays a major role in the brain’s arousal pathway. “If this is telling us something new about the mechanism, then that’s very important.”

Researchers believe they may have found the cause behind sudden infant death syndrome. SIDS accounts for more than one-third of sudden, unexpected deaths ...

Doctors have suspected that SIDS may be caused by a defect in the part of the brain that controls arousal from sleeping and breathing, according to the study published on Biospace. It impacts infants under a year old and usually happens when the child is sleeping. SIDS accounts for more than one-third of sudden, unexpected deaths among infants each year in the U.S.

Babies at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) could be identified through a biochemical marker, a new study finds.

"Now that we know that BChE is involved we can begin to change the outcome for these babies and make SIDS a thing of the past." Importantly, this might present an opportunity for both earlier screening for risk factors during the perinatal period, and might offer scientists and physicians an opportunity to discover an intervention." According to the study, the Australian researchers analyzed levels of a specific enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), in 722 dried blood spots (DBS) taken at birth as part of a newborn screening program. The researchers explained that BChE plays a vital role in the brain’s arousal pathway. What this research shows is that some babies don’t have this same robust arousal response," Harrington said. "An apparently healthy baby going to sleep and not waking up is every parent’s nightmare and until now there was absolutely no way of knowing which infant would succumb.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a condition where babies die in their sleep for no known reason.

More than 1000 babies in the U.S. die of SIDS each year, according to the CDC.

If the pacifier falls out after your baby falls asleep, you don't have to put it back." "However, make sure that the baby is always on his or her back when swaddled. "This helps reduce the risk of SIDS, even if it falls out after the baby is asleep. The swaddle should not be too tight or make it hard for the baby to breathe or move his or her hips. 5. Never place your baby to sleep on a couch, sofa, or armchair. In general, your baby should be dressed with only one layer more than you are wearing." "Place your baby back in his or her own sleep space when you are ready to go to sleep. If you are worried about your baby getting cold, you can use infant sleep clothing, such as a wearable blanket. "Place your baby's crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard in your bedroom, close to your bed. "We know babies who sleep on their backs are much less likely to die of SIDS than babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides. 4. Only bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort. In most cases, a SIDS death occurs while a baby is sleeping.

The groundbreaking SIDS research found that a lack of a specific enzyme explains why some babies dies in their sleep.

“This discovery changes the narrative around SIDS and is the start of a very exciting journey ahead. On average, one in 15 of those deaths occurred while the infant was sleeping. But it was a tragedy that didn’t sit well with my scientific brain.” They just said it’s a tragedy. The Sydney researchers confirmed the theory by analyzing dried blood samples of 722 babies that were taken during the newborn heel prick test – 655 of the tests were from healthy babies, 26 were from babies who died of SIDS and 41 from babies who died from other causes in infancy. For years, medical experts have suspected that SIDS is caused by a defect in the part of the brain that controls arousal from sleeping and breathing, according to the Mayo Clinic. They theorized that if an infant stopped breathing while asleep, the defect would keep the child from waking up.

The study from researchers in Australia found that babies classified under SIDS deaths had lower levels of an enzyme that can play a role in regulating ...

- Offer your baby a pacifier at nap time and bedtime. Signs your baby may be getting too hot include sweating or his or her chest feels hot. Such deaths often happen during sleep or within a baby’s sleep area. - Do not smoke during pregnancy, and do not smoke or allow smoking around your baby. - Do not cover your baby’s head or allow your baby to get too hot. - Keep your baby’s sleep area (for example, a crib or bassinet) in the same room where you sleep until your baby is at least 6 months old, or ideally, until your baby is one year old.

The results of a new study are bringing closure to countless parents who have endured the nightmare of losing a child to sudden infant death syndrome, ...

Previously, physicians told parents to lay their baby on its back to sleep and clear the crib of excess toys or covers that might cause their delicate bodies to overheat or prompt accidental strangulation or suffocation. What this looks like: a child who fails to catch their breath during sleep, with a brain that wakes them up for a gasp of air. The mysterious affliction haunts parents — some of whom, despite their best efforts on the advice of doctors, tragically lost their child for seemingly no reason.

New research hints at a potential relationship between an enzyme and sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, but the study is preliminary and doesn't give a ...

“This is progress, and for that we should be optimistic, but it’s not the entire answer,” said Alison Jacobson, CEO of the SIDS-focused nonprofit First Candle, in a statement. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the enzyme is responsible for SIDS or has a role in an infant’s death. Research on the more fundamental, biological reasons for devastating issues like SIDS are important to help remove stigma from grieving parents and help offer potential solutions. The analysis showed that infants who died of SIDS had lower levels of an enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase, which researchers think is involved in neural function. But even though the study points in a promising direction for future research, it isn’t a panacea, experts say. Parents of infants who die from unexplained causes are often the focus of suspicion, which can make the parents feel even more guilty and bereaved than they already do.