Sudden cot death is so terrible for many new parents that they don’t even want to read about it. Children die in their sleep not only in early infancy, even in adolescents. American scientists are conducting large-scale research that has finally brought about a breakthrough. Researchers discovered what could be the cause of sudden death among the youngest.

  1. Sudden Infant Death (SIDS) is clearly associated with newborns and infants. However, children and adolescents are also at risk. But then we are talking about SUDS (sudden unexplained deaths in children).
  2. SUDS is mentioned much less frequently, although there are even several hundred such cases in the United States alone each year. Scientific research is also less frequently devoted to it
  3. For decades, Laura Gould has been trying to find out the causes of SUDS, whose 15-month-old child died suddenly in 1997. The research sheds new light on the issue, giving hope for effective prevention of these tragic events
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  5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

SIDS and SUDS. Children die in their sleep for no particular reason

The death of a child is a traumatic event for a parent, from which many have been unable to shake off for years. Whether it’s a miscarriage or an accident. There are more possible causes of death among children – they also include incurable diseases, birth defects and complications.

A separate group, however, are deaths collectively known as SIDS or SUDS, i.e. cot deaths. It is about the situation when a completely healthy newborn, infant, child or teenager die in their sleep or while resting. No medical explanation or underlying medical conditions.

For many decades, parents who experienced this kind of tragedy have remained unanswered to the fundamental question: why? This, in turn, made it even more difficult to go through the mourning process, prompting you to look for the fault in yourself or your partner.

  1. See also: Lethal defects of the fetus. What does it mean? [WE EXPLAIN]

Statistically, SIDS affects over a thousand newborns and infants annually in the United States alone (US CDC data indicates 1250 deaths in 2019). SUDS takes several hundred children and teenagers every year.

In the case of cot death, the time has finally come for a major breakthrough: a group of American scientists have discovered that a genetic factor may be behind the unexplained deaths. It is about specific mutations in the genes of deceased children.

The rest of the text is below the video.

Genetic basis of cot death. A breakthrough is an opportunity for future generations

Laura Gould experienced the SUDS nightmare in her own home. In 1997, her 15-month-old baby died suddenly for no apparent reason. The woman, looking for an explanation for this tragedy, decided to start many years of research into cot death.

By comparing data from 124 molecular autopsies (more detailed ones, such as those used in SIDS and SUDS) with genetic samples collected from the parents of deceased children, the researchers identified a potential cause of sudden death. Eight genetic modifications associated with epilepsy, arrhythmia and neurodevelopmental disorders were identified in over 10 children.

While the SUDS substrate may be closely related to genetics, this does not mean that it is hereditary. In most cases, the problematic mutations did not occur in the parents of the deceased children. The researchers also emphasize that it is unlikely that SUDS could affect siblings.

The extensive analysis was based on the search for 137 genetic variants associated with heart disease and epilepsy. Scientists were able to establish that, compared to the general population, children who died from SUDS had them 10 times more often.

Scientists emphasize that the mere presence of the mutation does not necessarily lead to cot death. In their view, SUDS may be underpinned by more than just variants. Their study, however, may turn out to be a breakthrough in the case of sudden deaths among children.

“Along with providing comfort to parents, new discoveries about genetic alterations will increase over time, revealing responsible mechanisms and serving as a basis for finding new therapies,” concluded neuroscientist Richard Tsien.

At the same time, we encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we were talking about breathing. Breathe with your mouth or nose? How To Get Rid Of Bad Breathing Habits? What is breath re-reduction and how does it affect our mental and physical health? You will hear about this and many other aspects of breathing below.

Also read:

  1. The seven diseases from which children die most often
  2. The five most dangerous diseases in children. It is because of them that they most often die
  3. The weirdest things babies swallow. Doctor: screwed out 10 cm screws and swallowed
  4. The five most common cancers in children

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