Science News

Article originally written by Daphne Panie ’27.

In the United States, more than 1,300 children die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome per year (prevalence rate of 0.35 deaths per 1,000 live birth). Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also commonly called SIDS, is the sudden death of a baby under 1, and, in more than 90 percent of the cases, SIDS occurs when a baby is under 6 months old, with a peak from 1 to 4 months. It seems to threaten any baby and is a source of anxiety for any parent. Indeed, until a couple of months ago, the cause of SIDS remained unknown even after an autopsy, even though factors such as smoking during pregnancy, low weight at birth and air pollution had been identified as increasing the risk of SIDS. On September 9, 2024, an article was published in JAMA Pediatrics, announcing that they might have identified biomarkers highly correlated to higher SIDS risk. Scientists decided to examine biological factors, especially how the body stores and processes energy, that could play a role in SIDS and, if detected at birth, could allow for increased vigilance or preventive treatment. The study collected metabolic data from newborn screening, a combination of tests systematically done at birth, out of 2.7 million Californian born babies between 2005 and 2011. Scientists then compared these data between children who died from SIDS and children who survived. They discovered that among 354 children who died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, some biomarkers seemed to increase the risks of contracting the syndrome. They found that lower levels of C-3, a protein part of the human’s immune system, and higher levels of C-14 OH, fatty acids, could be one of the causes of SIDS. Some other biomarkers have been discovered and seem to lower the risk of SIDS in children. Although this is a major step in the understanding of SIDS, there is still a long way to go. The team of scientists plan to conduct more genetic testing to be able to identify more factors and with an ultimate goal of being able to perform SDIS screening. The leader of the research team, Scot Ottman declared in an interview: “These patterns could help identify children at higher risk, potentially saving lives in the future. This study is a critical step toward integrating metabolic markers with potential genetic markers and other risk factors to better assess the risk of SIDS in infants”, showing the importance of pursuing research to hope for a better future in this domain.

Sources:

How newly identified biomarkers could reveal risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (Cover Image)
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-newly-biomarkers-reveal-factors-sudden.html

Newly Identified Biomarkers to Pave Way for SIDS Screening Test
https://www.labmedica.com/molecular-diagnostics/articles/294802446/newly-identified-biomarkers-to-pave-way-for-sids-screening-test.html

How Newly Identified Biomarkers Could Reveal Risk Factors for SIDS
https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2024/09/428381/how-newly-identified-biomarkers-could-reveal-risk-factors-sids