title: Brain weight-body weight ratio in sudden infant death syndrome revisited.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the brain-body weight ratio is increased in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of autopsy files from Forensic Science SA, South Australia was undertaken over an eight-year period from 1999 to 2006, with classification of cases according to the San Diego definition. Sudden and/or unexpected deaths in previously healthy infants due to asphyxia or infection were selected as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 42 SIDS cases and 25 controls. The SIDS cases were aged from 1 to 42 weeks (mean: 16.26 ± 1.5 weeks) with a male to female ratio of 26:16. The control infants were aged from 3 to 48 weeks (mean: 19.24 ± 2.9 weeks) (P > 0.05) (M:F = 16:9) and included 13 cases of asphyxia and 12 cases of sepsis. Comparison of the brain-body weight ratios failed to demonstrate a significant difference: SIDS mean = 0.121 ± 0.003; control mean = 0.115 ± 0.003 (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although, there was a trend towards higher brain-body weight ratios in SIDS infants, this did not reach significance. The role of brain weight in the aetiology of SIDS remains controversial.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vink
authors.forename: Lisbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Roger W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Byard
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000473:pathology*