# Biological Component to SIDS Found

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-component-to-sids-found/378712>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 1, 2006, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-component-to-sids-found/378712 "2006-11-01T10:46:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-component-to-sids-found/378712/1 "2006-11-01T10:46:45Z")

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[Problems with serotonin and the brain stem.](http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/118796,CST-NWS-sids01.article)

> [@](#):
>
> In a small study with big implications, researchers found some of the strongest evidence yet that sudden infant death syndrome may be caused by brain stem abnormalities.
> 
> The finding “takes the mystery away from SIDS,” said Marian Willinger of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded the study. "It should take the guilt away from any parent who has lost a baby because they always wonder, ‘What did I do wrong?’ Now, they need to really understand, ‘My baby had a disease.’‘’
> 
> The brain stem abnormalities involve an imbalance in the way the brain uses serotonin, a chemical that influences breathing, body temperature and arousal from sleep. These functions are thought to go haywire when susceptible babies are exposed to certain risks, such as sleeping on their bellies.

Let’s hope this leads to tests and treatments very soon.

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**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-component-to-sids-found/378712/2 "2006-11-01T10:58:29Z")

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Indeed, I’m glad my wee girl is at the age when she can easily lift her head and roll about now. When she could only just roll herself and not readily right herself I worried about her rolling in her sleep.

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**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-component-to-sids-found/378712/3 "2006-11-01T12:25:45Z")

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I would absolutely love it if this pans out. I would be so happy to be able to stop autopsying SIDS babies.

But I’ve unfortunately seen lots of We-got-SIDS-nailed research come and go. Usually it’s a small study that gives great hope but doesn’t pan out. The problem with doing research on SIDS is any real breakthrough will lead to a Nobel prize. There’s something about Nobel prize fever that makes it very hard for a researcher to think clearly.

I can’t evaluate this research from the nontechnical blurb given. I’ll be looking up the original article today and perusing it with great attention. And I’ll keep my fingers crossed. But I am no longer optimistic that simple studies will find one answer which allows us to beat SIDS.

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-component-to-sids-found/378712/4 "2006-11-01T12:35:53Z")

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If you check out the related video at [this link](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15498884/), after the tiny commercial and then at around the 1:24 timestamp (drag the bar to skip ahead) it shows a couple of “brain images” from autopsied infants purporting to show the differences in serotonin activity. It’s been a while but it looks like PET imaging to me.