Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): A time lag factor

Abstract

A time lag factor of about five days has been identified in an increased incidence of SIDS in relation to a cold day (1). Sudden exposure to chilling appeared to trigger skeletal muscle weakness and renal failure about five days later in a man found to have only 25% of normal camitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT) activity in biopsied skeletal muscle (2). White Muscle Disease is a muscular dystrophy in young ruminants which appears about five days after turnout to pasture in the weaned ruminant raised on a diet deficient in vitamin E and selenium (VESD) (3, 4). Pasture has high levels of linoleic and linolenic acid (high PUFA diet) which are modified by developing rumen bacteria. Corbucci (5) investigated the effects of circulatory shock (cardiogenic) on skeletal muscle mitochondrial activity in humans. Cytochrome oxidase activity fell markedly and, in particular, the capacity to oxidase palmitoyl carnitine was greatly reduced. He considered a consequence of this disorder was sequestration of carnitine as acyl carnitine which could not be recycled. Unusual acyl carnitines have been identified in six out of 13 SIDS victims in a USA group (6). In Finland, researchers (7) identified a rise in SIDS incidence (mostly found in the prone position) after great and rapid temperature changes. Foster (8) found a relationship between 1984 SIDS incidence and the incidence of goitre in World War I troops.