Recent research found a potential connection between seizures and sudden unexplained deaths in toddlers (SUDC). While most people are familiar with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a phenomenon where babies die during sleep with no clear explanation, this new investigation focuses on a slightly older demographic – toddlers.
A Toddler Experiencing a Seizure
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Lead investigator Laura Gould, a research assistant professor at NYU Langone, initiated this research driven by a personal tragedy. In 1997, Gould lost her 15-month-old daughter, Maria, to SUDC. This heartbreaking loss inspired her to establish the NYU SUDC Registry and Research Collaborative a decade ago. Published in the journal Neurology on January 4, 2024, the study analyzed data from over 300 SUDC cases, incorporating video footage from family baby monitors and home security systems placed in toddlers’ bedrooms. The objective was to identify factors contributing to these inexplicable deaths.
The findings are striking: at least one in every three cases of SUDC is potentially caused by seizures. This revelation is consistent with earlier research indicating that children who experience sudden unexplained deaths are ten times more likely to have a history of febrile seizures.
After a panel of eight physicians reviewed video recordings, they found five of seven videos displayed signs of seizures through both audio and visual cues. In a sixth video, the toddler experienced muscle convulsions. These seizures typically lasted only a minute and occurred about 30 minutes before death. It is essential to note that only one of the toddlers in the videos had a prior history of febrile seizures, and autopsies were unable to determine a definitive cause of death for any of the children studied.
Lead investigator Dr. Owen Devinsky stressed the significance of these findings, emphasizing that seizures might be more common in sleep-related deaths among toddlers, infants, older children, and even adults than previously believed. Further research is necessary to comprehend how a brief seizure can lead to a child’s death. While the precise mechanism remains unclear, research suggests that seizures can cause breathing interruptions, potentially proving fatal, particularly when the individual is in a face-down sleeping position.
These findings underscore the urgent need for additional research to investigate the link between seizures and sudden unexplained deaths in children. The ultimate goal is to proactively prevent these devastating tragedies from occurring in the future.
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