Heart gone haywire blamed in some sudden inf...( enomics lab and the long Q-T syndrome c...),Health

Ackerman's team performed a genetic autopsy on every unexplained infant death investigated by the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory between September 1997 and August 1999 a total of 93. Researchers extracted DNA from frozen heart tissue and studied the five genes linked to long Q-T syndrome.

The researchers found 21 different mutations in the five candidate genes in 32 percent (30 children). About 5 percent (4) of SIDS cases had genetic anomalies that were absent in the genes of 200 healthy, racially matched control subjects.

"Long Q-T syndrome is sometimes called the perfect killer, because it leaves no clues," says Ackerman. "Neither does SIDS. Our goal is to discover the truth. SIDS will probably turn out to have 20 different underlying causes," he says. "If we can figure out what they are, we can screen for them and hopefully one day, prevent future cases of SIDS."

Although these findings are beginning to shed light on the causes of SIDS, there is no routine clinical test to screen for such cardiac causes, Ackerman explains. He says parents should continue to follow simple preventive measures that have decreased the frequency of SIDS: 1) don't place a baby on his/her stomach to sleep, 2) don't expose a baby to cigarette smoke and 3) don't cover a baby with heavy blankets.

He says medical examiners must begin to collect and store tissue in a way that enables a molecular autopsy in sudden infant deaths.

'"/>

Contact: Carole Bullock
carole.bullock@heart.org
214-706-1279
American Heart Association
19-Nov-2002