In Brief | Paediatrics & Neonatology
Newborn metabolic markers may help identify infants at high risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Time to read: 01 minute, 03 seconds
Time to listen: 03 minutes,03 seconds
Originally Published: 9 September 2024
Sourced: JAMA Pediatrics
Type of article: In Brief
MedED Catalogue Reference: MpIB0013
Category: Paediatrics & Neonatology
Cross Reference: Genetics
Keywords: paediatrics, SIDS, mortality, metabolic markers
Newborns who had an atypical pattern of metabolites were more than 14 times as likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome compared to infants who had more typical metabolic patterns
Top
Originally published in JAMA Pediatrics, 9 September 2024
Researchers of this US case-control study investigated the potential association between newborn metabolic markers and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a leading cause of infant mortality.
Previous research hinted at a link between inborn errors of metabolism and SIDS, but the relationship with specific metabolic biomarkers remained unclear.
The study analysed infants who had complete metabolic data from routine newborn screening (NBS).
The primary outcome was the incidence of SIDS, and logistic regression was employed to evaluate how metabolic markers interacted with known SIDS risk factors.
SIDS cases were matched to controls in a 1:4 ratio; the study included 354 SID cases (mean gestational age of 38.3 weeks) and 1,416 controls.
The following broad findings were determined:
The analysis identified 14 newborn metabolic markers that showed a significant association with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Among these markers were 17-hydroxyprogesterone, alanine, methionine, and various types of carnitines.
A predictive model using eight of these metabolites demonstrated a moderate level of accuracy, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.75 in the training set and 0.70 in the testing set, respectively.
Importantly, the findings revealed that infants in the testing set who had a predicted probability of SIDS greater than 0.5 were 14.4 times more likely to actually experience SIDS compared to those with a predicted probability of less than 0.1.
The researchers conclude the metabolic markers could be valuable indicators of increased SIDS risk shortly after birth, highlighting their potential role in early identification and monitoring of at-risk infants.
Back to top
Disclaimer
This article is compiled from several resources researched and compiled by the contributor. It is in no way presented as an original work. Every effort has been made to attribute quotes and content correctly. Where possible all information has been independently verified. The Medical Education Network bears no responsibility for any inaccuracies which may occur from the use of third-party sources. If you have any queries regarding this article contact us
Fact-checking Policy
The Medical Education Network makes every effort to review and fact-check the articles used as source material in our summaries and original material. We have strict guidelines in relation to the publications we use as our source data, favouring peer-reviewed research wherever possible. Every effort is made to ensure that the information contained here is an accurate reflection of the original material. Should you find inaccuracies, out of date content or have any additional issues with our articles, please make use of the contact us form to notify us.
