Experts have had little idea what causes SIDS. A new study released by Australian researchers, however, may change that, by linking an enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) to SIDS. According to the study, children who have died due to SIDS appear to have lower levels of BChE.
Butyrylcholinesterase is a potential biomarker for sudden infant death syndrome. Forensic pathology records were used to identify individuals born within this time-frame who had died of SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy).
While the cause of SIDS is unknown, many clinicians and researchers believe that SIDS is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide.
THURSDAY, May 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have found another clue as to why some infants die suddenly in their sleep, and it's related to a faulty chemical receptor in the brainstem.
Scientists in Australia have found that some babies at risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, have low levels of an enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in their blood.
Supine position for sleeping
“To reduce the risk of SIDS, infants should be placed for sleep in the supine position (wholly on the back) for every sleep period by every caregiver until 1 year of age.
First is the developmental window of vulnerability. SIDS is most common at 2-4 months of age when the cardiorespiratory system of all infants is in rapid transition and therefore unstable.
The highest SIDS rates in 1990 (>2.0/1000 live births) were in Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland. More recently, the highest SIDS rates (>0.5/1000 live births) are in New Zealand and the United States. The lowest rates (<0.2/1000) are in Japan and the Netherlands.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) rates have declined significantly in the United States (US) as a result of the “Back to Sleep” campaign. Despite this and many state and local risk reduction campaigns, rates still remain high in the African American and American Indian/Alaska Native populations.
Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the occurrence of SIDS by over 50 percent by improving the immune system, promoting brain growth, reducing reflux and a variety of other factors. While six months of breastfeeding is recommended, only two months of breastfeeding is required to significantly cut the risk of SIDS.
In one study, 80% of infants introduced to white noise fell asleep faster than those who fell asleep without it. Scholars believe that sleep aids, like white noise machines, can help infants experience more prolonged periods of deep sleep, reducing the risk of SIDS.
Even though the thought can be deeply unsettling, experts agree that there aren't any warning signs for SIDS. And since SIDS isn't diagnosed until after an infant has died and the death has been investigated, you can't catch SIDS while it's happening and stop it, for instance, by performing CPR.
By the time a baby turns 12 months old, the risk of sudden death is negligible. Here are recommendations for reducing the risk of SIDS: a) Avoid exposing your baby to cigarette smoke before or after birth. b) Avoid falling asleep with your baby in dangerous environment (bed, chair, or sofa).
Abstract. A triple risk model for the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) as described by Filiano and Kinney involves the intersection of three risks: (1) a vulnerable infant, (2) a critical developmental period in homeostatic control, and (3) an exogenous stressor(s).
Health experts say that new evidence continues to reinforce genetics may play a role in SIDS and that it's important to invest in more research. Data shows SIDS is the 12th-most underfunded pediatric condition by the National Institutes of Health, according to a 2021 study published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Year after the year, Japan is one of the countries with one of the lowest infant mortality rates. There are a few reasons why this may be: They have lower rates of maternal smoking and alcohol consumption — and research has shown that both maternal smoking and prenatal drinking increase a child's SIDS risk.
Infants at the age when SIDS occurs quite frequently spend most of their sleep in a stage known as rapid eye movement or REM sleep. This sleep stage is characterized by the dysregulation of various mechanosensory airway and chemosensory autonomous reflexes that are critical for survival (18, 19).
SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS seem healthy before being put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed.
Babies who sleep in their own room since birth or who sleep in the same bed as their parents are known to have a higher incidence of SIDS. That said, it is to be noted that SIDS is less common amongst South Asian babies where it is a common practice for babies to sleep in the same bed as their parents.
Approximately 60% of SIDS victims are male, and it has been suggested that male infants have delayed cortical maturation compared to females.
The lowest SIDS rates among these countries were in the Netherlands and Japan.
Additionally, there are potential safety concerns such as SIDS and suffocation risks. To find a balance between chest-sleeping and promoting healthy, independent sleep habits, it's important to limit chest-sleeping sessions and gradually introduce other comforting sleep routines.
Babies benefit from skin-to-skin contact when breastfeeding as well as when being bottle fed. Sharing a bed with your baby puts them at a higher risk of SIDS, suffocation, or strangulation.
The incidence of SIDS has been more than halved in recent years due to public health campaigns addressing the known major risk factors of prone sleeping, maternal smoking and overheating.
Most SIDS deaths occur in the first several months of a baby's life, and in fact, infants are most vulnerable between the second and fourth months. The SIDS risk significantly decreases after your baby turns 6 months old and is rolling over, which is a sign she is developing head and neck control.