Sudden infant death syndrome
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* John Morphet

*   © 2007 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors

The review article about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), by Carl Hunt and Fern Hauck,1 was enlightening. However, it was somewhat discouraging in its equivocal negation of the utility of postdelivery electrocardiography. It is the contention of this observer that for any baby with a family history of sudden cardiac death, with evidence of conduction defects or ventricular arrhythmia on cardiorespiratory monitoring, or exhibiting apnea neonatorum, investigations must include electrocardiography to test for cardiac channelopathy such as short QT syndrome, long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome or progressive cardiac conduction defect, any of which would exclude the diagnosis of SIDS.

## REFERENCE

1.  1. Hunt CE, Houck FR. Sudden infant death syndrome. CMAJ 2006;174:1861-9.
    
    [Abstract/FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czoxMToiMTc0LzEzLzE4NjEiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyMzoiL2NtYWovMTc2LzkvMTMwOS4xLmF0b20iO31zOjg6ImZyYWdtZW50IjtzOjA6IiI7fQ==)