Posted on 07/03/2008 10:34:18 PM PDT by neverdem
WASHINGTON — European scientists have shed new light on the causes of the devastating, inexplicable syndrome known as sudden infant cot death, according to a study published Thursday.
The syndrome, which strikes fear into every parent's heart, affects seemingly healthy babies aged between a month to a year, and is main cause of death among infants of that age in developed nations.
Now researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Italy have revealed that an imbalance of the neuronal signal, serotonin, in the brainstem caused sudden death in mice, according to the study in Science magazine.
The brainstem, which is at the base of the brain and joins to the spinal cord, co-ordinates many of the body's vital functions such as the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
The scientists modified serotonin systems in mice seeking to understand the role of the molecule on transmitting neuron signals in the brainstem. Victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) have shown alterations in those brainstem neurons that communicate using the signalling molecule serotonin.
“At first sight the mice were normal. But then they suffered sporadic and unpredictable drops in heart rate and body temperature,” said scientist Cornelius Gross.
“More than half of the mice eventually died of these crises during a restricted period of early life. It was at that point that we thought it might have something to do with SIDS.”
Until now it had remained unclear how changes in serotonin signalling in the brainstem could be involved in cot deaths.
The findings showed that deficits in serotonin signalling in the brainstem can lead to sudden death and support the idea that a congenital serotonin defect could play a critical role in SIDS.
“We hope the mouse model will help identify risk factors for SIDS,” said researcher Enrica Audero...
(Excerpt) Read more at theglobeandmail.com ...
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More logical cause of SIDS is clostridium botulinus spores containing botulinus toxin in honey. Infants don’t have the enzyme in the intestine that deactivates the spore thus causing death due to botulism.
It doesn't strike fear into every parent's heart so, since this person obviously can't write, there's no reason to read further.
I am not sure botulism can be readily equated with SIDS. Infants usually exhibit symptoms like constipation, difficulty feeding, etc. I think it is interesting that half or nearly half of all cases of infant botulism are in California. Since in most cases, there is no honey in the infants history, it is a widely held belief that it is the spores in the soil.
I would think that the babies, at least some, would exhibit signs of illness in that case.
Crib Death Caused by Poisonous Gases
“Crib death (SIDS) is not a medical matter. It is caused by poisonous gases generated in the baby’s sleeping environment. The gases are produced in a baby’s crib (or other sleeping environment) by the action of common household fungus on compounds of phosphorus, arsenic and antimony present in the mattress and in certain other bedding.”
Read more from Stopsids.com
Thanks for the link.
Absolutely! If this information is true, and it sure makes sense to me, the word NEEDS to get out!
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