Infections linked to cot deaths (SIDS)

[supernova]

Some cases of cot death may be due to a bacterial infection, researchers say.

The Archives of Disease in Childhood study found samples from babies who had died for no apparent reason often carried potentially-harmful bacteria.

Some experts believe toxins produced by these bacteria could trigger a chemical storm, which overwhelms the baby, resulting in sudden death.

There are around 250 sudden infant deaths a year in the UK. The majority are never fully explained.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7606900.stm

It would be great to finally get a handle on this misery-causing mystery.

edit: "Cot death" is the UK expression for SIDS.

[WePurrsevere]

1. This might tie in with something I read years ago, that it's not uncommon

for SIDS infants to have a slight "cold" when they die. The reason I tend to remember this type of thing is because my infant DD did when she died of SIDS in 1980.

Thank you for posting this. The more info found the better. I'm now a grandmother and the info my DDs have to help fight against this is so much better then I had so long ago.

[supernova]

2. So sorry for your loss

I never had children but, this always struck me as being especially tragic in that there doesn't appear to be any reason.

[WePurrsevere]

4. Thank you. Science and research is finding more things parents can do

to help prevent it but it's not foolproof yet. Personally I think there may be more then one "reason" and/or perhaps something like a slight cold, etc tilts things so there's higher chance of a problem then if it were only one thing (like the sleeping position).

Some of the things are different then what they said back in 1980. Both of my surviving DDs in recent years had daughters of their own and knowing about their sister they researched very carefully all that is thought to help prevent SIDS and carefully followed current advice and so far it seems to have worked (the youngest GDD is just 1 year old).

The more science learns the better the chances are that they'll get the rate of occurrence down to nil. With continuing research perhaps future generations won't have to worry about this at all if they choose to have children. :)

[gulfbreeze]

3. I am also sorry for your loss

[WePurrsevere]

5. Thank you. It's been over 28 yrs but when something like this

comes up time disappears and I'm reminded that time may help heal wounds to a great degree but some wounds are so deep that they never completely go away.

Hearing about research like in the OP gives me hope though, that perhaps future generations won't have to go through what my family, the (now X) DH and I did. :)