Sleep apnea in infants who succumb to the sudden infant death syndrome

Infants at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have slight abnormalities in various physiological functions, including increased heart and breathing rates. Various characteristics of apnea (pauses in breathing) have been reported in SIDS infants, including differences in the number of apneic pauses. These pauses may differ during various stages of sleep. The frequency and duration of apneic pauses during the stages of quiet sleep and rapid eye movement were examined in 22 infants between 2 to 65 days of age, who subsequently died of SIDS, and 66 control infants. During the first month of life, no difference was seen in the number of breathing pauses in the infants who died of SIDS and the control infants. However, during the second month of life, from 40 to 65 days, the SIDS infants showed fewer breathing pauses than control infants in both sleep states. Therefore, the time period of breathing irregularities was occurred in the second month of life. This precedes the time when infants are at the greatest risk for SIDS, which is from two to six months of age. This finding may provide some insight into the cause of SIDS. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)