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Siblings of cot death victims have four-fold cot death risk

Researchers say steps to avoid sibling deaths could be identified through autopsies and family screening

Embargo: 19 March 2018 at 08:30 CET

Arrhythmias, General


Barcelona, Spain – 19 March 2018: Siblings of cot death victims have a four-fold higher risk of cot death, according to research presented today at EHRA 2018, a European Society of Cardiology congress.1 The 38-year study in nearly 2.5 million infants suggests that autopsies should be carried out on SIDS victims and that family members should have cardiology tests.

The incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death, has declined in the last 20 years following public health campaigns to avoid placing infants in the prone sleeping position and not to smoke during pregnancy or near infants.

However, “SIDS remains a leading cause of death during the first year of life, affecting thousands of infants each year in Europe and the US,” noted study author Dr Charlotte Glinge, a physician and PhD student at The Heart Centre, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The exact cause of SIDS is unknown, but it is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to determine whether siblings of SIDS victims have a higher risk of SIDS than the general population.

The study used nationwide health and administrative registries in Denmark, where all residents are given a permanent and unique civil registration number at birth or immigration that enables linkage of individual registry data. The study included nearly 2.5 million infants under one year of age between 1978 and 2015.

From the cause of death registry, the researchers identified 1,535 infants who were the first, or only, infant in a family to die of SIDS during the 38-year study period. From the Danish fertility registry, the researchers identified 2,373 younger brothers and sisters of the group of infants who died of SIDS. They were followed from the date of their elder sibling’s death from SIDS to whichever of the following outcomes came first: SIDS, death from another cause, emigration, age of one year, or study end on 31 December 2015.

The researchers calculated the incidence of SIDS in the younger siblings compared to the general population. After adjusting for sex, age, and calendar year, they found that the younger siblings of SIDS victims had a four-fold increased risk of SIDS compared to the general population.

Dr Glinge said that a post-mortem examination by a cardiac pathologist should be undertaken in all young victims of sudden death. Although SIDS is believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors, if a genetic mutation is identified that may have contributed to SIDS, siblings and parents should be tested for the mutation.

All parents should be asked about family history of sudden cardiac death. Parents and siblings should be offered cardiology tests, including an electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiography, to provide the best chance of identifying an inherited cardiac condition. Management of surviving family members is complex and requires a multidisciplinary team.

Dr Glinge said: “All parents should follow public health advice on how to prevent SIDS. But by screening families of SIDS victims, we can identify whether there are additional steps that can be taken to stop a sibling dying of SIDS.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

ESC Press Office
Tel: +33 (0) 4 89 87 24 83
Email: press@escardio.org

SOURCES OF FUNDING: This work was supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the H2020 Programme of the EU ESCAPE-NET project, and Charlotte Glinge was funded by the University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

DISCLOSURES: None.

References and notes

1The abstract ‘Risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) among siblings of SIDS victims: a Danish nationwide cohort study’ will be presented during the session Young Investigator Awards Abstracts: Clinical which takes place on 19 March from 08:30 to 10:00 CET in the Agora – Poster Area.

About the European Heart Rhythm Association

The European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) is a branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Its aim is improving the quality of life and reducing sudden cardiac death by limiting the impact of heart rhythm disturbances. EHRA ensures the dissemination of knowledge and standard setting; provides continuous education, training and certification to physicians and allied professionals involved in the field of cardiac arrhythmias with a special focus on Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and Electrophysiology (EP). EHRA releases international consensus documents and position papers, it is a source of high-quality, unbiased, evidence-based, scientific information that promotes the quality of care for patients with AF. It also has a dedicated a website for patients: www.afibmatters.org

About the European Society of Cardiology

The ESC brings together health care professionals from more than 150 countries, working to advance cardiovascular medicine and help people to live longer, healthier lives.

Information for journalists attending EHRA 2018

EHRA 2018 will be held from 18 to 20 March in Barcelona, Spain, at the Fira Gran Via. The full scientific programme is available here

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