Sudden infant death syndrome requires genetic predisposition, some form ofstress and marginal malnutrition

Over the past 30 years or more, the problem of sudden, unexplained death in infants (SIDS) has made little headway. Many hypotheses have been offered but the basic cause remains elusive. The only successful prevention has bee n made by the supine sleeping posture. There is still, however, a hard core of unexplained incidents. There is evidence that certain stress factors ar e involved, and there is good evidence that the tragedy has a familial or g enetic tendency. The third factor necessary for the event is inefficient ox idation in brain cells induced most commonly by marginal malnutrition in pr egnancy or after birth. The absence of any one or more of these three facto rs decreases risk to the point of extinction. Anything that impedes healthy oxidation, or accelerates energy utilization through responding to stress, increases the risk greatly. Improving the biochemical mechanisms through a ppropriate nutrition is by far the best defense. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishe rs Ltd.