Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Essay -- Crib Death SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a mysterious phenomena that has managed to confound science so far. SIDS is defined as the sudden death of any infant or young child that is unexpected by history and in which a thorough post mortem examination fails to demonstrate an adequate cause (Hunt & Brouillette, 1987). It is the leading cause of death in infants in developed countries occurring at a rate of almost 2 per 1000 births. It most often occurs in infants between the ages of one month and eight months with the highest occurrence in the 4-6 month range. Several behaviors have been associated with this syndrome such as prolonged sleep apnea, increased risk of breath inspiration pause, excessive periodic breathing, diminished ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia, and impaired arousal response to hypoxia, but none of these have stood out as the definitive cause or as a screening device (Hunt & Brouillette, 1987). Instead it appears SIDS may be the result of a collection of factors tha t in the right circumstances results in infant death. This paper will examine some of the factors that appear to be associated with SIDS as well as some hypotheses on the cause. Recent findings have shown that one cause of what has been labeled SIDS is suffocation or carbon dioxide rebreathing (Kemp et al, 1993). Technically this is not SIDS but it is often misdiagnosed as the cause of death if the physical scene is not examined, and it may also be a significant cause of SIDS. It seems that the practice of placing infants in the prone position, common in America and Europe, may be detrimental to the infant’s well-being. Studies of rabbits placed in this position on various surfaces have shown death to ensue as a re... ...s in human hypothalamus in relation to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Progress in Brain Research: 93, 167-188. Lagercrantz, H and M. Ranold. (1991) Hypoxia and Neuropharmacology of Breathing. Developmental Neurobiology of Breathing, New York. pp. 661-679. Naeye, R., J. Olsson and J. Combs. New Brainstem and Bone Marrow Abnormalities in Victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. J. Perinat.: 9, 180-183. Ponsonby, A., T. Dwyer, et al. (1993) Factors Potentiating the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Associated with the Prone Position. N. Engl. J. Med. :329, 377-382. Schechtman, V., R. Harper, and D. Southall. (1992) Sleep State Organization in Normal Infants and Victims of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Pediatrics; 89, 865-870. Ward, S., D. Bautista and T. Keens. (1992) Hypoxia Arousal Response in Normal Infants. Pediatrics: 89, 860-864.