Maternal Smoking and Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cells in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 668-672
Author(s):  
Ernest Cutz ◽  
Donald G. Perrin ◽  
Richard Hackman ◽  
Elinor N. Czegledy-Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Airway Epithelium ◽  
Maternal Smoking ◽  
Matched Control ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Neuroepithelial Bodies ◽  
Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cells

Background. Maternal smoking is a well-recognized risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but the precise mechanism is unknown. We tested a hypothesis that maternal smoking affects pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs) and neuroepithelial bodies (NEBs), which are innervated PNEC clusters and presumed airway chemoreceptors. Methods. Lung sections from infants who died of SIDS and whose mothers smoked during pregnancy (n = 22), infants who died of SIDS and whose mothers were nonsmokers (n = 17), and age-matched control infants (n = 15) who died of other causes were immunostained for bombesin (a PNEC and NEB marker) and assessed morphometrically. Results. The frequency of PNEC (the percentage of airway epithelium immunoreactive for bombesin) was increased up to twofold in the lungs of infants who died of SIDS (7.7 ± 0.4%) compared with controls (4.9 ± 0.4%), as was the frequency (40 ± 3.5 vs 23 ± 3.7/cm2) and size (748 ± 46.5 vs 491 ± 25.8,µm2) of NEBs. In infants who died of SIDS and who were born to smoking mothers, PNEC frequency was increased significantly compared with that in those born to nonsmoking mothers, but the frequency and size of NEBs were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that maternal smoking potentiates hyperplasia of the PNEC system in the lungs of infants who die of SIDS and that a dysfunction of these cells may contribute to the pathophysiology of SIDS.

Abnormal Patterns of Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cells in Victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 828-834
Author(s):  
John E. Gillan ◽  
Carmel Curran ◽  
Eileen O'Reilly ◽  
Seamus F. Cahalane ◽  
Anthony R. Unwin
Keyword(s):  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Chronic Hypoxia ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cell ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Structural Abnormalities ◽  
Brainstem Dysfunction

Ventilatory dysfunction has become the main focus of current research in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This has been correlated with structural abnormalities in the carotid body and respiratory nuclei of the brainstem. In recent studies, the denervating effect of asphyxial brainstem dysfunction on the pulmonary neuroendocrine cells, which probably function as chemoreceptors, was demonstrated and prompted the following study. The pulmonary neuroendocrine system was evaluated in 25 victims of SIDS and 20 control infants, ranging in age from 3 weeks to 7 months and 1 to 12 months, respectively. The pulmonary neuroendocrine cells were stained by the Churukian-Schenk method and the neuroendocrine cell-positive airway values expressed as a percentage of the total number of airways. The range of positive airway values for victims of SIDS was 2% to 97% with a median of 73%. In contrast, the range for the control infants was 1% to 44% with a median of 25.5%. The SIDS victims' percentage was significantly greater than the control infants' percentage (P< .0001). The number of pulmonary neuroendocrine cells in positive airway was also increased among SIDS victims compared with control infants. The altered plumonary neuroendocrine cell pattern could be attributable to either brainstem dysfunction or chronic hypoxia. These explanations are not, however, mutually exclusive of one another; in fact, it is possible that both mechanisms may be operative.

Smoking and the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. 893-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Mitchell ◽  
R. P. K. Ford ◽  
A. W. Stewart ◽  
B. J. Taylor ◽  
D. M. O. Becroft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Maternal Smoking ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Household Members ◽  
Control Study

Objective. Maternal smoking has been shown to be a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The effect of smoking by the father and other household members has not previously been examined. Methods. A large nationwide case-control study. Four hundred eighty-five SIDS deaths in the postneonatal age group were compared with 1800 control infants. Results. Infants of mothers who smoked during pregnancy had a 4.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.28, 5.11) greater risk of death than infants of mothers who did not smoke. Infants of mothers who smoked postnatally also had an increased risk of SIDS compared with infants of nonsmokers and, furthermore, the risk increased with increasing levels of maternal smoking. Smoking by the father and other household members increased the risk (odds ratio [OR] = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.92, 3.02 and OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.20, 1.99, respectively). Smoking by the father increased the risk of SIDS if the mother smoked, but had no effect if she did not smoke. In analyses controlled for a wide range of potential confounders, smoking by the mother and father was still significantly associated with an increased risk of SIDS. Conclusion. Passive tobacco smoking is causally related to SIDS.

scholarly journals What risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome are preterm and term medically complex infants exposed to at home?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Mitchell ◽  
Daniel Y Wang ◽  
Christine Troskie ◽  
Lisa Loczy ◽  
Abby Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Maternal Smoking ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Term Infants ◽  
Medical Complexity ◽  
Syncytial Virus

Abstract Objectives Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome include premature birth, maternal smoking, prone or side sleeping position, sleeping with blankets, sharing a sleeping surface with an adult, and sleeping without an adult in the room. In this study, we compare parents’ responses on sleep patterns in premature and term infants with medical complexity. Methods Parents of children enrolled in the Canadian Respiratory Syncytial Virus Evaluation Study of Palivizumab were phoned monthly regarding their child’s health status until the end of each respiratory syncytial virus season. Baseline data were obtained on patient demographics, medical history, and neonatal course. Responses on adherence to safe sleep recommendations were recorded as part of the assessment. Results A total of 2,526 preterms and 670 term infants with medical complexity were enrolled. Statistically significant differences were found in maternal smoking rates between the two groups: 13.3% (preterm); 9.3% (term) infants (χ 2=8.1, df=1, P=0.004) and with respect to toys in the crib: 12.3% (term) versus 5.8% preterms (χ 2=24.5, df=1, P<0.0005). Preterm infants were also significantly more likely to be placed prone to sleep (8.8%), compared with term infants (3.3%), (χ 2=18.1, df=1, P<0.0005). Conclusion All the infants in this study had frequent medical contacts. There is a greater prevalence of some risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome in preterm infants compared to term infants with medical complexity. Specific educational interventions for vulnerable infants may be necessary.

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