Not long ago the sudden death of the infant was an absolute mystery.
Fortunately, little by little we learn about new research aimed at investigating the causes of this tragic syndrome that affects one in every thousand babies.
A number of factors related to SIDS (acronym in English) are known, such as irresponsible colecho, tobacco, excessive shelter and on some occasion there has also been talk of a brain abnormality.
One of the latest studies indicated that it could be related to a group of potentially harmful bacteria, but now a new study published in the journal has come to light Science according to which the cause of sudden death could be found in poor serotonin regulation, a brain neurotransmitter.
Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Monterotondo (Italy) have discovered that mice that suffered alterations in a serotonin regulator, in the brainstem (part that coordinates the respiratory and cardiovascular system) suffered symptoms of the disease and died during a specific period of its development.
They explained that the victims of sudden death show alterations in the neurons of this region of the brain, which communicate using serotonin. Therefore, they have concluded that a congenital defect linked to its regulation may be the cause of sudden death in babies.
Anyway, you have to be cautious with this type of studies, since in different investigations very different causes have been found. In any case, the important thing is to work on finding the reasons that trigger the dreaded sudden death.
