Rebreathing of exhaled gases: Importance as a mechanism for the causal association between prone sleep and sudden infant death syndrome

James S. Kemp

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

Twenty to 52% of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) victims are found dead with their noses and mouths turned into underlying bedding. Several items of bedding have been shown to increase the risk for SIDS in case- control studies or to be associated with many SIDS deaths in case series. These items of bedding are softer, limit CO2 dispersal more, and cause more rebreathing of exhaled gases than bedding infrequently associated with SIDS. Rebreathing of exhaled gases may explain some prone deaths, and avoiding rebreathing of these gases is one possible mechanism for the reduction in SIDS when infants avoid prone sleep. Results supporting these statements are reviewed and discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)S263-S266
JournalSleep
Volume19
Issue number10 SUPPL.
DOIs
StatePublished - 1996

Keywords

  • Consumer product safety
  • Rebreathing
  • Sudden infant death

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Rebreathing of exhaled gases: Importance as a mechanism for the causal association between prone sleep and sudden infant death syndrome'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this