[A screening program for detecting children with an increased SIDS risk (sudden and unexpected infant death)].
The prospective study presented conducted to prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). One of the proposed hypotheses on SIDS postulates a brainstem abnormality in the neuroregulation of cardiorespiratory processes. Therefore we characterized cardiorespiratory control mechanisms by examining the neurotransmitter substance P in plasma and polysomnographic investigations. With respect to the probable multifactorial origin of SIDS we selected children firstly anamnestically by means of an epidemiologically evaluated pre-, peri- and postnatal risk score. We reported the results of 208 polysomnographically and biochemically examined children anamnestically selected from a group of 2500 neonates. Examinations were performed on infants aged 2-4 weeks up to 1 year. To characterize respiratory control, length and frequency of apnoeas were separately estimated by means of polysomnography in the sleep states active and quiet sleep. If there were polygraphic risk factors representing a disturbance of respiratory control, the children were prophylactically treated with aminophylline 3 x 3 mg/kg b.w. for 4 weeks. We found a significant age dependence both of the mean apnoea duration in active sleep and the substance P level in plasma in the SIDS-risk group but not in the controls. High mean apnoea duration was correlated with low substance P level in the first months of age in SIDS risk infants selected anamnestically. This may reflect a delayed maturation of respiratory control mechanisms. In this way the polysomnography and the investigation of the neuropeptide substance P may be useful for a screening method indicating wether the respiratory control mechanisms are mature or not.
Scholle
S
S
Universitäts-Kinderklinik, Jena.
Zwacka
G
G
Scheidt
B
B
Glaser
S
S
Oehme
P
P
Rathsack
R
R
D000628:Aminophylline / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008403:Mass Screening; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects; D013373:Substance P / Q000097:blood; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000628:Aminophylline; D013373:Substance P
Screeningprogramm zur Erfassung von Kindern mit einem erhöhten SIDS-Risiko (Plötzlicher und unerwarteter Kindstod).