SIDS

sudden infant death syndrome

Abstract

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is an entity poorly studied in Brazil although it represents the main cause of death in the first year of life in the industrialized nations. It is probably multifactorial being prone sleeping position the most important risk factor. Other risk factors are male gender, age between two and four months, smoking mothers, low birth weight, and mild upper airway infection, mostly viral. Interaction of predisposing and triggering factors with a particular period of central nervous and immune system development may be necessary for its occurrence. Although well recognized in the industrialized countries it is fairly unknown among us and this situation will only change when health professionals are aware of its importance. Pediatricians and doctors who work in emergency services are the ones who usually are faced with cases of unexpected deaths in children less than one year old whose autopsies should be mandatory. Pathologists who work in services devoted to the identification of the cause of death and Forensic Doctors should be trained in the identification of such cases with a protocol that includes external and internal examination, both macro and microscopic, as well as collection of blood and vitreous humor for serological and electrolyte studies, respectively. The final diagnosis must be based on history, with the exclusion of external causes, macroscopic, microscopic, serological and vitreous humor findings. Only with these results we will be able to determine the real SIDS incidence and its characteristics with which preventive actions can be done.