Biomaterial Database

Sudden infant death syndrome and hibernation: is there a link? 1990

R D Pearson, and A C Greenaway

University of Toronto, Science and Medicine Library, Ontario, Canada.

Two very large bodies of information seem to overlap, one being the epidemiological and pathological studies on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the other being the research on hibernation. Until now, these two phenomena have been studied independently; however, it will be argued here that the role of the pineal gland, that of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and sleep patterns in both endothermic hibernating mammals and those babies presenting as SIDS provide clues and support for the hypothesis that SIDS is pathoplastic to the hibernatory response.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D010870	Pineal Gland	A light-sensitive neuroendocrine organ attached to the roof of the THIRD VENTRICLE of the brain. The pineal gland secretes MELATONIN, other BIOGENIC AMINES and NEUROPEPTIDES.	Epiphysis Cerebri,Pineal Body,Corpus Pineale,Gland, Pineal,Pineal Bodies,Pineal Glands
D002001	Adipose Tissue, Brown	A thermogenic form of adipose tissue composed of BROWN ADIPOCYTES. It is found in newborns of many species including humans, and in hibernating mammals. Brown fat is richly vascularized, innervated, and densely packed with MITOCHONDRIA which can generate heat directly from the stored lipids.	Brown Fat,Hibernating Gland,Brown Adipose Tissue,Fat, Brown,Tissue, Brown Adipose
D006605	Hibernation	The dormant state in which some warm-blooded animal species pass the winter. It is characterized by narcosis and by sharp reduction in body temperature and metabolic activity and by a depression of vital signs.	Hibernation, Artificial,Induced Hibernation,Artificial Hibernation,Artificial Hibernations,Hibernation, Induced,Hibernations,Induced Hibernations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012890	Sleep	A readily reversible suspension of sensorimotor interaction with the environment, usually associated with recumbency and immobility.	Sleep Habits,Sleeping Habit,Sleeping Habits,Habit, Sleep,Habit, Sleeping,Habits, Sleep,Habits, Sleeping,Sleep Habit
D013398	Sudden Infant Death	The abrupt and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant under one year of age, remaining unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history. (Pediatr Pathol 1991 Sep-Oct;11(5):677-84)	Cot Death,Crib Death,SIDS,Death, Sudden Infant,SID,Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,Cot Deaths,Death, Cot,Death, Crib,Infant Death, Sudden