November 9, 2006
It's a fundamental rule of newborn care — lay your baby to sleep on the back to help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Now, groundbreaking research is offering new insight into the mysterious syndrome, which is the leading cause of death for infants who are 1 month to 1 year old.
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that babies who die of SIDS may have abnormalities in the brainstem. That means there may be underlying problems that increase an infant's risk for SIDS, in addition to the environmental factors that have been associated with the syndrome.
Though scientists have long been researching the connection between SIDS and the brain, this latest evidence shows the strongest correlation to date and may help diminish some of the mystery surrounding SIDS.
Inside the Science
Looking at brainstem tissue from 31 infants who died of SIDS and 10 who died of other causes, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, and other institutions found abnormal levels of the brain chemical serotonin in the brainstems of the babies who died of SIDS.
The brainstem controls many of the body's automatic functions, like heart rate, body temperature, and sleep. If a baby is born with a brainstem defect, it may affect the brainstem's ability to use and recycle serotonin, which helps regulate our sleep-wake cycles as well as breathing and blood pressure.
So it may be that when a baby with a brainstem abnormality is exposed to an environmental factor such as belly sleeping, which is known to be associated with SIDS, the risk of SIDS skyrockets, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
What This Means to You
The report findings suggest that with further research, there might be a way to test babies for SIDS-related brain defects, possibly leading to new strategies for preventing SIDS-related deaths.
Until babies with a predisposition for SIDS can be identified, you can help reduce the risk of SIDS in your infant:
- Always place your infant to sleep on the back on a firm mattress in a crib or bassinet (never on a pillow, waterbed, sheepskin, or other soft surface).
- Never put your baby to bed with fluffy blankets, comforters, quilts, pillows, or plush toys.
- Never smoke or let anyone else smoke around your baby both during pregnancy and after your baby is born.
- Consider putting your baby to sleep sucking on a pacifier.
- Breastfeed, if possible.
- Keep the room temperature comfortable and don't overbundle your baby.
- Follow early and regular prenatal care with regular checkups for your infant.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: November 2006
Source: David S. Paterson, PhD; Felicia L. Trachtenberg, PhD; Eric G. Thompson, MS; Richard A. Belliveau, BA; Alan H. Beggs, PhD; Ryan Darnall, BA; Amy E. Chadwick, BA; Henry F. Krous, MD; Hannah C. Kinney, MD; Journal of the American Medical Association, November 1, 2006.
