Enzyme in babies ’ blood linked to risk of sudden infant death syndrome

Scientists find babies who died from Sids had lower levels of BChE on average, but say link ‘needs more investigation’Scientists may have come a step closer to uncovering the causes for sudden infant death syndrome in a study that has been hailed as a significant advance by the British scientist whose work underpinned the Back to Sleep campaign of the 1990s.The study is the first to identify a biochemical marker in the blood that is linked to the risk of Sids, sometimes called cot death, when an apparently healthy infant dies during their sleep. Although the test is not accurate enough to be used in newborn screening, it hints that abnormally low levels of a chemical linked to the brain ’s arousal system could be involved in causing these babies to die suddenly in their sleep.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Sudden infant death syndrome Health Biology Science Source Type: news