2024-01-09 11:00:00
Each year in France, between 250 and 350 babies are affected by unexpected infant death (IND). This is the sudden death of a baby – most often during sleep – when there was nothing to anticipate this event. It is the first circumstance of death in infants aged 28 days to one year.
The health newsletter
Every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
Receive our selection of articles from our Health section as well as the rankings of hospitals and clinics, special files, advice and tips…
Merci !
Your registration has been taken into account with the email address:
To discover all our other newsletters, go here: MyAccount
By registering, you accept the general conditions of use and our confidentiality policy.
“Among unexpected deaths are deaths explained by a natural or violent cause and deaths which remain unexplained, despite a full investigation, including an autopsy. Deaths that remain unexplained are grouped under the term sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). MIN is therefore a circumstance of death, and not a cause. It is only after an in-depth exploration that an MIN can be classified as an MSN,” explains Public Health France. On a daily basis, certain factors (particularly in the sleeping environment) can increase the risk of unexpected infant death.
A recent study focused on the causes that help us understand sudden and unexpected deaths in young children. Scientists say brief seizures accompanied by muscle convulsions could be a potential cause. To reach this conclusion, the team analyzed data provided by families. Specifically, she used medical records and video evidence sent by families to document the inexplicable deaths of seven toddlers. According to the researchers, these seizures lasted less than 60 seconds and occurred in the 30 minutes immediately preceding each child’s death. These findings were published in the journal Neurology.
“Irrefutable” proof
“Our study, although small, offers the first direct evidence that seizures may be responsible for some sudden deaths in children, which are usually unwitnessed during sleep,” said the study’s lead researcher, Laura Gould, research assistant professor at NYU Langone. He added: “The results of this study show that seizures are much more common than patients’ medical histories suggest, and that additional research is needed to determine whether seizures are common in sleep-related deaths in adults. toddlers, and potentially in infants, older children and adults. » For Dr. Devinsky, professor in the departments of neurology, psychiatry and neurosurgery, “the seizures could be the irrefutable proof that medical science was looking for to understand why these children are dying.”
To limit the risk of unexpected infant death, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends always placing infants on their back in a sleeping bag appropriate for their size and the season, on a firm mattress and in a bed with bars. It is not recommended to place a pillow, sheet, baby cushion, bed bumper, etc. in the bed to prevent the child from choking. Another piece of advice is that the room temperature should be between 18 and 20°C. During the child’s first six months – or even the first year – it is recommended that the baby sleep in the parents’ room. The AAP also advises breastfeeding for the first six months.
1704823500
#researchers #identify