SLEEPING POSITION AND UPPER AIRWAYS BACTERIAL-FLORA - RELEVANCE TO COT DEATH

The hypothesis that the prone sleeping position is associated with acc umulation of upper airways secretions and increased bacterial growth w as investigated in adults. Ten subjects with upper respiratory tract i nfection lay prone for one hour and then supine for one hour. Nasal sw abs after the prone period yielded higher bacterial counts than swabs obtained after the supine period. This result could be relevant to sud den infant death syndrome (SIDS), as infants who sleep in the prone po sition are at increased risk of SIDS and one theory is that death is c aused by toxins produced by bacterial overgrowth in the upper respirat ory tract following a viral infection.