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Chapter 7 - Are Some Cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Incorrectly Diagnosed as Shaken Baby Syndrome?

from Section 2 - Medicine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2023

By
Marta Cohen
Edited by
Keith A. Findley ,
Cyrille Rossant ,
Kana Sasakura ,
Leila Schneps ,
Waney Squier  and
Knut Wester
Keith A. Findley
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Cyrille Rossant
Affiliation:
University College London
Kana Sasakura
Affiliation:
Konan University, Japan
Leila Schneps
Affiliation:
Sorbonne Université, Paris
Waney Squier
Affiliation:
John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Knut Wester
Affiliation:
Universitetet i Bergen, Norway
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Summary

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is multifactorial, associated with inadequate cardiac, breathing, autonomic and/or arousal control. Although cases are usually found collapsed in the early hours of the morning, collapse can occur in daytime. If resuscitation is successful, these infants may die later (delayed SIDS). In these circumstances, hypoxic ischaemic injury to vital organs, including the central nervous system will likely develop: haemorrhages (subdural (SDH), intradural, subgaleal, subarachnoid and/or brain), oedema, spinal and/or retinal haemorrhages (RH). The SDH and encephalopathy are well described in young infants dying of natural causes, especially following successful advanced resuscitation. Infants who develop the triad of SDH, RH, and encephalopathy share many epidemiological features with infants dying of SIDS: age, male sex, prematurity, small for gestational age, young mothers, multiple births, high parity, low socioeconomic status, smoking during pregnancy, minor respiratory infections. Hence, it seems reasonable to hypothesise that there is an overlap between some features in SIDS and SBS, and that the latter may correspond to a resuscitated SIDS.

Keywords

epidemiologyrisk factorssudden infant death syndromedelayed SIDStriadALTE/BRUEgastro-oesophageal refluxhypoxia
Type
Chapter
Information
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Investigating the Abusive Head Trauma Controversy
 , pp. 129 - 137
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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