airway narrowing. Since facial structure is at least partly inherited, this may provide the familial link in the sudden infant death syndrome, although larger studies are required to confirm these findings. These results also provide a further link between the sudden infant death and obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndromes, as the facial changes are similar in both conditions. Our study in...

AIM To test whether alcohol is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). DESIGN AND SETTING US epidemiological study using computerized death certificates, linked birth and infant death dataset, and Fatality Analysis Reporting System. PARTICIPANTS All SIDS cases (n = 129,090) and other infant deaths (n = 295,151) from 1973-2006; all persons involved in late-night alcohol-relate...

This study aimed to investigate whether seasonal variation in day length contributed to winter/summer variation in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at different latitudes in mainland Britain. Over 11 yrs 13,973 deaths were studied. Using appropriate analytic techniques a sine curve was fitted to monthly rates with the amplitude indicating magnitude of seasonal change. The rate of SIDS per 1,...

OBJECTIVE Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, a subgroup of sudden, unexpected infant deaths, is a leading mechanism of injury-related infant deaths. We explored trends and characteristics of these potentially preventable deaths. METHODS In this descriptive study, we analyzed US infant mortality data from 1984 through 2004. To explore trends in accidental suffocation and strangul...

Sequencing of the human genome has resulted in a rapidly expanding understanding of the molecular basis of many human diseases and the incredible complexity of genotype–phenotype relationships. Some genes are expressed only in healthy individuals or in disease conditions, only at specified ages, or in response to specific perturbations or states (e.g., sleep). Some genes, thus contribute to sus...

We recently reported an association between recurrent episodes of severe apnoea requiring vigorous resuscitation for which no cause could be found and episodic hypothermia. Two similar cases are now reported that give further evidence of a link between hypothermia and acute life threatening episodes of apnoea.