Study identifies potential biomarker for SIDS, but a test for it is a long way off
Related: Butyrylcholinesterase is a potential biomarker for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (eBioMedicine)
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Source: CNN
Study identifies potential biomarker for SIDS, but a test for it is a long way off
By Katherine Dillinger and Jen Christensen, CNN
Updated 1848 GMT (0248 HKT) May 13, 2022
(CNN) — Australian researchers say they've identified one potential biomarker for sudden infant death syndrome, known as SIDS, but experts caution that it's just one piece of the puzzle.
About 3,400 babies die from SIDS in the US each year. There is no immediate or obvious cause of death, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts don't know which babies are at risk for SIDS or what causes it.
For their study, published May 6 in the journal eBioMedicine, the researchers measured levels of an enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in blood samples from 67 newborns who died of SIDS and other unknown causes between 2016 and 2020. They compared these levels with those in the blood of 655 babies in a control group and found that the children who died of SIDS had significantly lower BChE levels than living children or those who died of other causes.
SIDS usually happens when a child is sleeping. Experts have speculated that it's associated with problems in the part of an infant's brain that controls breathing and waking. BChE is an enzyme of the cholinergic system, part of the autonomic system, which controls functions like blood pressure and breathing. The study authors say more research is needed to determine whether BChE tests might be able to identify and prevent future SIDS cases.
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Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/13/health/sids-potential-cause-wellness/index.html
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