Infectious causes of sudden infant death syndrome

Mohammad Alfelali; Gulam Khandaker

doi:10.1016/j.prrv.2014.09.004

Infectious causes of sudden infant death syndrome

Paediatr Respir Rev. 2014 Dec;15(4):307-11. doi: 10.1016/j.prrv.2014.09.004. Epub 2014 Sep 19.

Authors

Mohammad Alfelali¹, Gulam Khandaker²

Affiliations

¹ National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: malfelali@kau.edu.sa.
² National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Perinatal Infection Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity Institute (MBI), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 25441371
DOI: 10.1016/j.prrv.2014.09.004

Abstract

Investigators have long suspected the role of infection in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Evidence of infectious associations with SIDS is accentuated through the presence of markers of infection and inflammation on autopsy of SIDS infants and isolates of some bacteria and viruses. Several observational studies have looked into the relation between seasonality and incidence of SIDS, which often showed a winter peak. These all may suggest an infectious aetiology of SIDS. In this review we have summarised the current literature on infectious aetiologies of SIDS by looking at viral, bacterial, genetic and environmental factors which are believed to be associated with SIDS.

Keywords: Aetiology; Infection; Sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS]; Sudden unexpected death in infancy [SUDI].

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infections / complications*
Risk Factors
Sudden Infant Death / etiology*