Real-Life Communication
You've been asked by the coroner to perform an autopsy on a
two-month-old baby boy who died suddenly in his sleep. You can't find
any definite cause of death from the autopsy, so you conclude that the boy
died from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
The coroner has asked
you to produce a report for her and answer these specific questions:
- What is the cause of SIDS?
- Is there any age at which SIDS is more likely to occur?
- Does SIDS strike more girls than boys?
- Do the parents have warning that SIDS may occur?
- When do SIDS deaths occur more frequently?
- Is this child typical of most SIDS victims?
Your report on this specific case found that:
- This child was underweight for his age
- The parents noticed cold-like symptoms two days before the baby's
death
- The time of death is estimated to have been approximately 4 a.m.
Using the following information, write a report about SIDS as it
applies to this particular case, making sure that you answer all of the coroner's
questions:
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Sudden
infant death syndrome is the sudden, unexpected death of an infant that often
can't be explained, even after an autopsy. In developed countries, SIDS
is the most common form of death between the ages of one month and one year;
three-quarters of these occur in babies under six months old.
SIDS
is slightly more common among boys, among second children and in winter. More
deaths seem to occur between midnight and 9 a.m. and on weekends.
Most
experts believe there is no single cause of SIDS. It seems probable that some
babies die of a sudden overwhelming respiratory infection and others of undetected
inborn errors of metabolism.
Most deaths are thought to be caused by
some abnormality in the breathing and heart rate. Abnormal breathing rhythms
may be due to: a fault in the brain stem; abnormally sensitive airway reflexes
in the lungs; or there may be an abnormality of surfactant (a substance that
prevents the air sacs of the lungs from collapsing).
Even though most
deaths seem to come without warning, it is becoming clear that some babies
may have been suffering from minor symptoms (cold or stuffy nose) for several
days before death or have shown an inexplicable weight loss.