Unraveling the mysteries of sudden infant death syndrome.
The major contributions to the understanding of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) from the 1992 literature are in the area of epidemiology. The SIDS incidence, both in the overall population and in the Native American population, is decreasing. There was an additional report identifying overwrapping as a risk factor for SIDS, and several models of infant hyperthermia have been developed and studied. New data from New Zealand and England lend further support to the association between prone sleeping and SIDS, a relationship that has prompted a sleeping position recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Several studies suggest an association between SIDS and toxigenic bacteria in the upper respiratory tract, but no significant association was found between SIDS and positive viral cultures. Two studies report that medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency is not significantly associated with SIDS. Of particular interest in the near future will be additional data about the effect of changing sleeping position on the incidence of SIDS in the United States.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine, NY 14642.
J G
JG
Brooks
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012307:Risk Factors; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology