Infants Dying of SIDS Show Brainstorm Abnormalities

Infants who die suddenly and for no apparent reason may have abnormal brainstems.

Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital are reporting the finding based on a review of several dozen cases where infant deaths were attributed to sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS. They found a significant number of babies had chemical abnormalities in their brainstem tissue that could impair breathing, heart rate and blood pressure during sleep and prevent them from waking up.

The researchers are now focused on developing a way to detect and treat this underlying problem early enough to save infants.

[Metro Networks]