Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered blood markers associated with sudden infant death syndrome that could open the door to simple tests to identify babies at risk.
The findings also represent an important step forward in unraveling the causes of SIDS, an unexplained condition that is the No. 1 killer of babies between a month and a year old.
The UVA researchers analyzed blood serum samples collected from infants who died of SIDS and were able to identify specific biological indicators and potential causes linked to the babies’ deaths.
The markers could result in tests to identify warning signs in infants and ultimately save lives, the researchers say.
“Our study is the largest study to date that has attempted to detect how these small molecules in the blood may serve as biomarkers for SIDS,” said researcher Keith L. Keene, founding director of UVA’s Center for Health Equity and Precision Public Health, now at East Carolina University. “Our findings … provide insight into how those biological processes may contribute to increased risk or serve to diagnose SIDS.”
Understanding SIDS
In their research, Keene and colleagues analyzed the blood serum samples collected from 300 babies included in the Chicago Infant Mortality Study and the National Institutes of Health’s NeuroBioBank. The researchers assessed levels of 828 different metabolites in key biological processes such as nerve cell communication, stress response and hormone regulation – processes that could contribute to SIDS.
Researcher Keith L. Keene, founding director of UVA’s Center for Health Equity and Precision Public Health, is the head researcher on the project. He is now at East Carolina University. (Contributed photo)
“We found differences in specific fats, called sphingomyelins, which are critical for brain and lung development,” said Chad Aldridge, research assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at UVA’s School of Medicine. “Differences in these fats may disrupt these critical processes, placing some infants at risk for SIDS.”
After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, race and ethnicity, the researchers identified 35 predictors of SIDS. These “biomarkers” included ornithine, a substance critical to the body’s ability to dispose of ammonia in urine. The amino acid has already been identified as a potential contributor to SIDS.
Another predictor was a lipid metabolite critical for brain and lung health. This metabolite is already considered a potential indicator for the development of fetal heart defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.
