Blood test could identify babies at risk of cot death

A BLOOD test to identify newborns at risk of cot death could be on the horizon after a breakthrough by scientists.

Samples from infants who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) found they had unusually high levels of the brain chemical serotonin.

The neurotransmitter regulates breathing and other functions by carrying signals along nerves.

A study of 61 cot death victims found almost a third had increased levels.

SIDS is notoriously difficult to distinguish from other sleep-related deaths, such as accidental suffocation by bedding, so the discovery could lead to a forensic technique to establish the cause.

It may even eventually lead to doctors being able to measure serotonin in babies to flag up those who may be vulnerable to SIDS.

Dr Rosemary Higgins, of the pregnancy and perinatology branch at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Maryland, America, said: “This is a very exciting finding. More research would need to be done, but it could possibly lead to a forensic test to distinguish SIDS deaths from other causes of death among infants.”

She said a screening programme to prevent cot death is still a long way off.

In the UK, just under 300 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every year. Despite a considerable decline in such tragedies over the past 20 years, it remains the leading cause of death among babies between a month and a year old.

The NHS says although the statistic may sound alarming, SIDS is rare and the risk of a baby dying from it is low.