MINOR INFLAMMATORY LESIONS AND SUDDEN INFANT DEATH - CAUSE, COINCIDENCE, OR EPIPHENOMENA

Minor inflammatory changes are often found in tissues of infants who d ie suddenly. Recently it has been proposed that these infiltrates sign al significant underlying infectious disease and are responsible for d eath. Currently there is no unanimity about the percentage of cases in which inflammatory infiltrates occur and no international consensus i n regard to the minimal criteria required for their diagnosis or their significance. We recommend that the presence of minor inflammatory in filtrates should not detract from the diagnosis of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) until further study has determined otherwise.