Potential Evolutionary, Neurophysiological, and Developmental Origins of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Inconsolable Crying (Colic): Is It About Controlling Breath?

The authors develop a conceptual, testable model suggesting lack of developmental synchrony between cortical and subcortical neural tracts necessary for breathing control underlying human vocalization (speech breathing), potentially leaving infants vulnerable to inconsolable crying. They propose that this lack of developmental synchrony also helps explain the human susceptibility to sudden infant death syndrome. Beginning around 1 month, during sleep and awake periods, infants gradually learn to shift between volitional and autonomic breathing control based on developing functional interconnections between cortical and subcortical neural networks. The existence of Mother–Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory, University of Notre Dame, Department of Anthropology, Notre Dame, IN 46556 ([email protected]). ∗Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education, University of North Texas, Matthews Hall, Room 214, Denton, TX 76203. ∗∗Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody No. 329, 230 Appleton Place, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203–5721.