Atypical Metabolite Levels at Birth May Be Linked to Increased SIDS Risk
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Newborns who had an atypical pattern of metabolites were more than 14 times as likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) compared to infants who had more typical metabolic patterns, according to a study funded in part by NICHD.
Metabolites are molecules produced by the body’s various chemical reactions. Researchers found that infants who died of SIDS had a specific pattern of metabolites compared to infants who lived to their first year. The researchers believe that checking for this pattern could provide a way to identify infants at risk for SIDS. The study was conducted at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine and appears in JAMA Pediatrics.
SIDS is the sudden death of an infant that remains unexplained after a complete investigation. From more than 2 million infants born in California, researchers compared newborn screening test results of 354 SIDS cases to those of 1,416 infants who survived to at least one year old.
The state screens all its newborns for many serious disorders. Test results include checking for metabolites that are markers for disorders and conditions.
The authors say that testing for metabolic patterns may provide a way to identify infants at risk for SIDS soon after birth, which could inform efforts to reduce SIDS risk. Similarly, research on the biochemical pathways that produce the metabolites linked to SIDS may yield insights into the causes of SIDS and ways to reduce its risk.