To be overwhelmed by the news that scientists have found a cause fir SIDS?

[BuanoKubiamVej]

I've just been in floods of tears remembering all the babies who have died and all the mothers who will never get over their loss - DH saw a retweet of this and told me and I was just completely overwhelmed, didn't even see till later that this reaction was also the same for this tweeter - but the news is wonderful. Scientists at a hospital in Australia have found a deficiency of a specific enzyme in blood samples of babies who died of SIDS and this breakthrough could lead to a screening test that could identify babies that are at a higher risk, and potentially prevent those deaths occurring.

mobile.twitter.com/TheDebbieMia/status/1524867531319787523

I'm shocked that there's so little in the media about it - a Google found a few articles from Australian sources and an article in the Daily Mail - why isn't this bigger news? Are the non-DM newspapers sceptical about the reliability of the research? Surely this is amazing and worth shouting about?

It's very interesting and hopefully it can inform future guidance and maybe even screening.

But isn't there a lot of research and ethnographic study showing that regulation of young babies' breathing and arousal during sleep is partly dependent on being very close to their caregiver? ie. the adult's breathing 'reminds' the baby to breathe. Would those with the defect mentioned be at particularly less risk if they slept close to their caregiver (in a safe environment)?

'Safe sleep' practices always miss out this kind of stuff. It's good to see more safe co-sleeping guidance being provided as part of perinatal care as well.

This is good news. The only thing is, of course, that far more research needs to be done before anything could be officially confirmed, so we will have to wait some time for that, but it is certainly a move in the right direction.

This is so scary and I'm so glad your little one is fine. I didn't have any idea this could be some link to sleep apnea. Both dh and I have it, now I'm aware of it will keep that in mind.

Any research and progress in this area is a good thing of course, but it is very early days in terms of the research at the moment. It hasn't been proven as a cause and a test may not be available for decades if it is.

What a huge step forward. Wonderful news!

Absolutely this.
They’ve found another potential risk factor, that’s wonderful. But it doesn’t eliminate all previous advice regarding smoking, drinking, cosleeping in less than ideal conditions etc. to now ignore this previous advice because of this new research would be reckless.

@llibrollibre having the baby in the same room as you is heavily promoted as a way of reducing the risk of SIDS. It halves the risk, similar to the impact of BFing. Back to sleep reduced deaths by 81% in the UK. The cosleeping message is more complicated, SIDS is reduced in BF babies who sleep with sober, non-smoking mothers. But not for babies in bed with with a father who smokes or drinks.

OP, there are lots of contributing factors, there won't be one single cause. It's good news but won't have the same impact as the 'good sleep hygiene' campaigns.

This isn’t a hormone

this is in regards to an autonomic dysfunction which is neurological.

Wow this is incredible

This is great news and hopefully will save the lives of many babies.

I find it really sad though, I know a few families who have lost a child through cot death and just wish this information was able to help them too.

whilst it’s an interesting scientific break through that certain infants lack an enzyme to rouse themselves when found in an unsafe sleeping situation which makes them more susceptible to dying, the crux of it seems to be safe sleep. It seems like the study has bundled together position asphyxiation, suffocation and unsafe sleep related deaths with Sids. Sids of course has no known cause, in the instances of true Sids , I’m guessing those infants lacking that enzyme are falling too deeply into sleep and become unable to rouse themselves.

I wonder if this will eventually become part of a screening process, but still I can’t imagine the guidance to mitigate if your child is more susceptible. Safe sleep every sleep, no co sleeping and wake your child every few hours?

I’ve read a few articles about this that I think are problematic and I’m relieved to have not seen it reported in such a way by British media. There are extremely well-proven ways to reduce the incidence of SIDS and any reporting needs to be mindful to not undermine those. It’s fantastic that research is finding these root causes, but until (if ever) effective national screening is happening for this enzyme, then we can’t forget about the safe sleeping measures that are protective.

This. I'm very glad our papers are treating this cautiously.

I know there are owlets on the market right now for commercial consumption are they different to the Angelcare ones?

i know those sock monitors are actually discouraged right now

I always think of Anne Diamond and the loss of her son, Sebastian to SIDS. It's amazing that scientists have made a breakthrough 💕

This article sets the research in context and why it is an important achievement but not a miraculous breakthrough at all:
www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2022/05/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-cause-study/629886/