2023-05-28 19:01:00
Researchers at the University of Oxford have carried out studies on the brains of babies struck down by sudden death.
The sudden infant death syndrome is one of the great fears of parents. So far, the origins of this phenomenon have remained unknown, a real headache for the world of neonatal medicine. Throughout France, 250 to 350 infants die suddenly for no apparent reason. In the United States, the figures are worrying, the SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) ranks first among the causes of death in young children.
An evil that terrifies parents
This syndrome traumatizes parents, because death often strikes at night in full sleep and without warning signs. The baby isn’t even sick. This happens before he reaches his first year. Doctors cannot explain this phenomenon. The origins of this disease have remained mysterious, but the results of a study by experts from the University of Oxford may provide some clarification. The researchers’ findings were featured in the magazine Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology. In an attempt to find more information regarding this syndrome, scientists observed and analyzed the nervous systems of 70 baby victims of SMSN between 2004 and 2011. They set a specific goal: to identify similar dysfunctions. They seem to have detected the beginnings of an answer on the causes of the SMSN.
Could a brain abnormality be the cause?
The problem might come from the 5-HT2A / C receptor of serotonin, neurotransmitter, this active agent of the nervous system is undermined for the case of sudden infant death syndrome. According to studies carried out before, made on mice, the 5-HT2A/C receptor actively participates in awakening while ensuring oxygenation of the brain while it sleeps.
Babies with abnormalities in the serotonergic system may be more sensitive to SMSN. Currently, the scientific world does not have specific systems to quickly recognize the alteration of the brainstem in a newborn. Oxford scientists prefer to prioritize vigilance: “When the child is in a critical period of his cardiorespiratory development during his first year, when he is confronted with an external stressor, such as a position of sleep face down or sharing a bed, and has a biological abnormality that makes them susceptible to breathing problems while sleeping“.
1685312856
#Brain #abnormality #thought #sudden #infant #death #syndrome
