Causes of sudden infant death

Abstract

The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected death of one apparently normal child. Their incidence is aproximately 2/1.000 live newborns. There are several factors related to the environment, to the mother and the own child which increase the risk of SIDS. The mechanisms of SIDS are very discussed yet, and probably the most significant ones could be the cardiac anomalies and specially the failures of respiratory control. In the necropsy studies there are not tissue injuries that could be cause of death, but it is possible to find histologic disturbs characteristics of the chronic hypoxia.