title: Dermatoglyphics in sudden infant death syndrome.
abstract: An analysis of digital and palmar dermatoglyphic patterns was conducted in 173 victims of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The results expose four dermatoglyphic regions with pattern frequencies differing from those in a control population. These are an excess of Sydney creases, hypothenar patterns, open fields (with fewer vestiges) in interdigital region IV, and arches on all digits (females only). These findings indicate a genetic or early intrauterine environmental influence in SIDS infants. An increased incidence of dysmorphism and anomalies including recognition of specific syndromes support this contention. One could speculate that these dermatoglyphic deviations reflect specific genotypes and/or phenotypes particularly vulnerable to postnatal challenges. Differences in multiple dermatoglyphic categories support the concept of heterogeneity of the SIDS population and multicausality of SIDS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kozakewich
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Plato
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cronk
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mandell
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Vawter
mesh_terms: D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*