New study encourages hope for fewer SIDS deaths

This is literally the best news I've read in a good, long while. For six months after I gave birth, I endured nights of tossing, turning and waking up suddenly in the middle of the night in a near-panic state. The fear was almost a constant in those early times - during his many daytime naps, when other people were babysitting him, driving down the road to the mall. We were sticklers about every SIDS rule that we had ever heard. I even came close to purchasing a rather expensive breathing monitor to put under his mattress.

Now that he's past the high-risk stage, I can rest a little easier but am already dreading those same fears when baby #2 comes along. Hopefully the study just released by the American Medical Association will lead to the prevention of future SIDS deaths.

According to an article I read today published by Reuters, scientists have linked a decreased amount of serotonin in brain tissue to increased vulnerability to SIDS. The study recorded that all in the study who suffered from SIDS-related deaths had over a quarter lower levels of serotonin (a chemical found in the central nervous system that is responsible for transmitting messages related to sleep, mood, cognitive functions, etc) and low levels of an enzyme needed to produce serotonin.

With lower levels of serotonin, babies are less likely to wake and adjust in situations such as sleeping face-down where carbon dioxide levels can become dangerous. Now that we know about this correlation, the next step is for scientists to determine how they can test for serotonin levels in newborns.

Heartfelt gratitude should go out to those parents who donated their infants' bodies to these studies. I can't even imagine. Their consideration will surely save the lives of others.