Causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Contents

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Introduction
Causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
List of Causes
Causes Discussion
Hidden causes
Risk factors
Complication causes
News
Related cause information

Causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

The exact cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is unknown; one theory is that the baby's body has a problem sensing the amount of Carbone dioxide in the blood. Several biological and environmental factors contribute to SIDS, including sleeping on the stomach, cigarette smoke, soft bedding, co-sleeping with parents, premature birth, poor prenatal care and a family history of SIDS (e.g. sibling).

List of causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) that could possibly cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome includes:

Arcuate nucleus brain abnormality - one of the possible causes in theories about SIDS
Medium chain acylCoA dehydrogenase deficiency
Respiratory infections - although not a direct cause, these may exacerbate some other cause.
Smoking - sudden infant death syndrome
Sleep apnea - sudden infant death syndrome
Medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (MCAD deficiency)
Infant botulism
Long QT syndrome
Infections with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori
Shaken baby syndrome and other forms of child abuse
Foul play

More causes:see full list of causes for Sudden infant death syndrome

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Causes: Risk Factors

The following conditions have been cited in various sources as potentially causal risk factors related to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome:

Sleeping on stomach - because this reduces oxygen due to rebreathing exhaled air
Overheating of the baby
Smoking during pregnancy
Passive cigarette smoke
Smoking during first year of infant's life
Prematurity
Low birth weight
Poor prenatal care
more risk factors »

Race Patterns for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Causes:

Race Profile for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: African American babies 2-3 times more likely than Caucasian; Native American 3:1....more »

Racial Information for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: The average infant mortality rate among Native American women is 30% higher than the national average,... (Source: excerpt from Native American Women's Health: NWHIC) ...more »

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Related Medical Conditions

To research the causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, consider researching the causes of these these diseases that may be similar, or associated with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome:

Intrauterine death
Maternal smoking
Passive smoking
Congenital enzyme disorders
Cot death syndrome
Non accidental injury
Infantile botulism
Long QT syndrome
Medium chain acyl enzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency
Helicobacter pylori infection
Shaken baby syndrome
Child abuse

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Causes and Types

Causes of Broader Categories of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Review the causal information about the various more general categories of medical conditions:

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as a complication of other conditions:

Other conditions that might have Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Our database lists the following as having Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as a complication of that condition:

What causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?

Causes: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Unknown. Possibly hidden brain abnormalities.

Medical news summaries relating to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome:

The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome:

Related information on causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome may be found in:

» Next page: Risk Factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome