Researchers have made a world breakthrough in the fight against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome with a find that may have already saved one life.
A University of Adelaide study of medical data collected from deceased children could now help spare countless families the heartbreak of SIDS, which kills dozens of babies without warning every year.
Chemical clues in the brains of SIDS victims now indicate a link to breathing problems, Adelaidenow.com.au reported.
The researchers have identified a link between SIDS and breathing problems, finding that telltale signs in the brains of babies who died of SIDS are remarkably similar to those of children who died of accidental asphyxiation.
The clue they have discovered may have already saved one child, whose sibling was a SIDS victim.
The clue pointing to possible breathing irregularities in the victim led to doctors identifying sleep apnoea in the sibling, leading to precautions to avoid a repeat of the tragedy.
The results are published in the journal Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology.
