Researchers found that babies with low levels of serotonin, found in thegastrointestinal tract and central nervous system, were less able torespond to life-threatening challenges such as a lack of oxygen duringsleep.
The team from Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts examined the braintissue of babies who had died of cot death and similar conditions.
They found that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) children had 26 percent less serotonin than those who had died of other causes.
Dr Jhodie Duncan, lead author of the study, said, 'SIDS currently takesthe life of one in every 2,000 infants. Massive national campaignsdecades ago highlighted the risks associated with particular sleepingpositions for infants under one year of age. Those campaigns worked toreduce SIDS related deaths substantially, but over the past decade thenumbers have plateaued. We hope this research takes us a step closer toa cure.'
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