Novel toxins in SIDS 

Dr Paul Goldwater, Senior Consultant Clinical Microbiologist and Physician in Infectious Diseases, at the Children, Youth & Women’s Health Service, North Adelaide, Australia, has discovered certain toxins produced by gut bacteria in a large proportion of SIDS infants, which have not been found to any great extent in other babies.

SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants aged over one month, annually claiming the lives of not only 300 infants in the UK but also about 90 babies in Australia. Many risk factors associated with SIDS have been identified, yet the true cause of death remains a mystery.

In many SIDS cases, however, the evidence points to an infectious cause. Several studies support the involvement of bacterial toxins in SIDS but, although frequently found, no consistent single toxin has accounted for most cases.

Findings from one of Dr Goldwater’s earlier studies suggested that a toxin related to the toxin which causes infant botulism could be involved in a large proportion of SIDS cases. It is thought that this toxin, acting alone or with certain other toxins, could be responsible for the majority of SIDS deaths.

Building on Dr Goldwater’s previous research, we are now providing funding of around £62,000 for a new study which will identify the extent to which these toxins are present in the blood of SIDS infants and the exact nature of the toxins. This could enable the development of a vaccine to protect babies against them.

 

More Current research »