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Bacterial Infection May Cause SIDS

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) claims the lives of thousands of babies every year and researches continue to scratch their heads about the causes of the syndrome. Although risk factors include exposure to passive smoke, overheating, sleeping on the stomach or on soft beds, new research suggests that some cases of SIDS may be related to bacterial infection such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. 

Bloomberg reports the research of Martin Weber, who studied 546 cases of SIDS between 1996 and 2005. Autopsies were done on the infants, and interesting results were found relating bacterial infection to SIDS.

According to Bloomberg,

As many as 19 percent of the unexplained cases of SUDI (as SIDS is known in the UK) may have been due to E. coli or S. aureus, or other pathogenic bacteria without an obvious focus of infection. The researchers found these pathogens in 24 percent of deaths diagnosed as bacterial infection and in 11 percent of cases explained by non- infective causes such as accidents or heart disease.

The researchers think that the bacteria may produce toxins which affect the infant. The increase in bacteria levels may be due to other causes, and not the direct cause of SIDS. Overheating and impaired infant arousal responses are linked to infant death and may also provide better conditions for bacterial growth inside the ailing infants. What the research does show is that S. aureus and E. coli may be related to SIDS and that more research is needed to learn more about the pathology of the illness.

E. coli is also the leading cause of infant meningitis.  Meningitis in infants is fatal between 40 and 80% of the time.  If E. coli is also related to the many deaths caused by SIDS, it will be ever more important to make sure that the nation’s food supply, especially the foods that come into contact with infants and pregnant women, are kept free of life-threatening bacteria like E. coli.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on June 02, 2008 (boomark / email).