University researchers have shed new light onto the possible causes of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) which chould help to prevent future loss of children’s lives. In a world-first study, researchers in the School of Medical Sciences, led by Professor Roger Byard, have found that tell-tale signs in the brains of babies who have died of SIDS are remarkably similar to those children who died of accidental asphyxiation. The research focuses on a specific precursor protein in the brain. This is a very important result as is helps to show that asphyxia rather than infection or trauma is more likely to be involved in SIDS deaths.
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