Extreme cardiorespiratory events and SIDS

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The CHIME study put to rest the idea that apneic/bradycardic episodes of <20 seconds were associated with SIDS. However, infants occasionally have extreme events defined as apnea and/or bradycardia of >30 seconds. In this issue of The Journal, Hoppenbrouwers et al used the extensive monitoring from the CHIME study to ask if extreme events were related to SIDS. These events were not related to any risk factors for SIDS. They further predicted that conventional events would increase with decreased respiratory rates and would decrease with maternal smoking. These associations proved to be true, suggesting that extreme and conventional events are associated with development of respiratory control mechanisms in infants and not related to SIDS.

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