Sudden deaths in term infants within 24 hours of birth

Sudden Deaths and Severe Apparent Life-Threatening Events in Term Infants Within 24 Hours of Birth, Anette Poets, Renate Steinfeldt, and Christian F. Poets, Pediatrics 2011; 127:4 e869-e873; published ahead of print March 28, 2011, doi:10.1542/peds.2010-2189 The post-mortem examination is important in every case of sudden unexpected infant and perinatal death, i.e., sudden neonatal unexplained death (SNUD) and sudden intrauterine unexplained death (SIUD). There is not a clear separation between unexplained perinatal death and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), because a continuity of histopathological and genetic developmental abnormalities have been detected in the cardiac conduction system and in the cardio-respiratory and arousal regulating centers of the brainstem. Prevention of sudden unexplained perinatal death and SIDS is the object of laws and bills in some countries, with the aim to enhance the anatomo- pathological, genetic, and clinico-epidemiological research. It should be underlined that the primary risk factors for both sudden unexplained perinatal death and SIDS include exposure to cigarette smoke that, starting in uterus, acts as a causative agent and triggering factor in vulnerable infants with developmental abnormalities in the cardiac conduction system and/or autonomic nervous system detected at necropsy examinations.