U of C Researchers Find Clue to SIDS Deaths

By Rachelle Bowden in News on Jul 9, 2004 11:47AM

Researchers at the University of Chicago may have uncovered new clues in the mystery of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the number #1 cause of death in babies under 1 year old and is responsible for taking about 3,000 children's lives each year. In their study printed in the journal Neuron, researchers pinpoint brain cells that are responsible for regulating gasping. When a baby is sleeping, if he begins to not breathe, the gasping will help him reset his normal breathing pattern. But if these cells malfunction, a baby doesn't gasp and breathing doesn't restart, and SIDS is the result.

When babies are placed on their stomachs, their airways can more easily become blocked. A campaign to promote infants sleeping on their backs has helped decrease the incidence of SIDS. The cause of SIDS is still unknown, but this research from U of C is definitely helping scientists figure it out.