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Sudden unexplained death in childhood

MedGen UID:
820021
•Concept ID:
C3827273
•
Disease or Syndrome
Synonym: Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood

Definition

Unexpected death of a child over one year of age, which remains unexplained when all known and possible causes of death have been ruled out. [from NCI]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • Sudden unexplained death in childhood

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Fetal Arrhythmia Diagnosis and Pharmacologic Management.
Strasburger JF, Eckstein G, Butler M, Noffke P, Wacker-Gussmann A
J Clin Pharmacol 2022 Sep;62 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S53-S66. doi: 10.1002/jcph.2129. PMID: 36106782Free PMC Article
Stiripentol for the treatment of seizures in Dravet syndrome.
Eschbach K, Knupp KG
Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2019 May;12(5):379-388. Epub 2019 Apr 24 doi: 10.1080/17512433.2019.1605904. PMID: 31017478
Management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in children.
Seggewiss H, Rigopoulos A
Paediatr Drugs 2003;5(10):663-72. doi: 10.2165/00148581-200305100-00002. PMID: 14510624

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Brain water content in sudden unexpected infant death.
Eidahl JML, Rognum TO, Stray-Pedersen A, Opdal SH
Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2023 Dec;19(4):507-516. Epub 2023 Feb 3 doi: 10.1007/s12024-023-00584-8. PMID: 36735187Free PMC Article
Determining the prevalence of sudden and unexplained death in childhood (SUDC): a national Australian perspective.
Duncan JR, Byard RW
Int J Legal Med 2021 May;135(3):793-800. Epub 2020 Oct 23 doi: 10.1007/s00414-020-02445-3. PMID: 33097983
Sudden unexplained death in childhood: A comparison of cases with and without a febrile seizure history.
Hesdorffer DC, Crandall LA, Friedman D, Devinsky O
Epilepsia 2015 Aug;56(8):1294-300. Epub 2015 Jun 29 doi: 10.1111/epi.13066. PMID: 26120007
Sudden infant death syndrome, sleep, and seizures.
Hoppenbrouwers T
J Child Neurol 2015 Jun;30(7):904-11. Epub 2014 Oct 9 doi: 10.1177/0883073814549243. PMID: 25300988
Sudden unexplained death in infants and children: the role of undiagnosed inherited cardiac conditions.
Wong LC, Behr ER
Europace 2014 Dec;16(12):1706-13. Epub 2014 Feb 28 doi: 10.1093/europace/euu037. PMID: 24585884

Diagnosis

Cardiac Genetic Investigation of Sudden Infant and Early Childhood Death: A Study From Victims to Families.
Kotta MC, Torchio M, Bayliss P, Cohen MC, Quarrell O, Wheeldon N, Marton T, Gentilini D, Crotti L, Coombs RC, Schwartz PJ
J Am Heart Assoc 2023 Sep 5;12(17):e029100. Epub 2023 Aug 17 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.029100. PMID: 37589201Free PMC Article
Brain water content in sudden unexpected infant death.
Eidahl JML, Rognum TO, Stray-Pedersen A, Opdal SH
Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2023 Dec;19(4):507-516. Epub 2023 Feb 3 doi: 10.1007/s12024-023-00584-8. PMID: 36735187Free PMC Article
Seizure-related deaths in children: The expanding spectrum.
Harowitz J, Crandall L, McGuone D, Devinsky O
Epilepsia 2021 Mar;62(3):570-582. Epub 2021 Feb 14 doi: 10.1111/epi.16833. PMID: 33586153Free PMC Article
Inconsistent classification of unexplained sudden deaths in infants and children hinders surveillance, prevention and research: recommendations from The 3rd International Congress on Sudden Infant and Child Death.
Goldstein RD, Blair PS, Sens MA, Shapiro-Mendoza CK, Krous HF, Rognum TO, Moon RY; 3rd International Congress on Sudden Infant and Child Death
Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2019 Dec;15(4):622-628. Epub 2019 Sep 9 doi: 10.1007/s12024-019-00156-9. PMID: 31502215Free PMC Article
Sudden unexplained death in infants and children: the role of undiagnosed inherited cardiac conditions.
Wong LC, Behr ER
Europace 2014 Dec;16(12):1706-13. Epub 2014 Feb 28 doi: 10.1093/europace/euu037. PMID: 24585884

Therapy

Risk factor changes for sudden infant death syndrome after initiation of Back-to-Sleep campaign.
Trachtenberg FL, Haas EA, Kinney HC, Stanley C, Krous HF
Pediatrics 2012 Apr;129(4):630-8. Epub 2012 Mar 26 doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-1419. PMID: 22451703Free PMC Article

Prognosis

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood: Current Understanding.
Wojcik MH, Krous HF, Goldstein RD
Pediatr Emerg Care 2023 Dec 1;39(12):979-983. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000003074. PMID: 38019718
Seizure-related deaths in children: The expanding spectrum.
Harowitz J, Crandall L, McGuone D, Devinsky O
Epilepsia 2021 Mar;62(3):570-582. Epub 2021 Feb 14 doi: 10.1111/epi.16833. PMID: 33586153Free PMC Article
Determining the prevalence of sudden and unexplained death in childhood (SUDC): a national Australian perspective.
Duncan JR, Byard RW
Int J Legal Med 2021 May;135(3):793-800. Epub 2020 Oct 23 doi: 10.1007/s00414-020-02445-3. PMID: 33097983
Sudden Unexpected Death in Fetal Life Through Early Childhood.
Goldstein RD, Kinney HC, Willinger M
Pediatrics 2016 Jun;137(6) doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-4661. PMID: 27230764Free PMC Article
Sudden unexplained death in infants and children: the role of undiagnosed inherited cardiac conditions.
Wong LC, Behr ER
Europace 2014 Dec;16(12):1706-13. Epub 2014 Feb 28 doi: 10.1093/europace/euu037. PMID: 24585884

Clinical prediction guides

Blinded review of hippocampal neuropathology in sudden unexplained death in childhood reveals inconsistent observations and similarities to explained paediatric deaths.
Leitner DF, McGuone D, William C, Faustin A, Askenazi M, Snuderl M, Guzzetta M, Jarrell HS, Maloney K, Reichard R, Smith C, Weedn V, Wisniewski T, Gould L, Devinsky O
Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2022 Feb;48(1):e12746. Epub 2021 Jul 16 doi: 10.1111/nan.12746. PMID: 34164845Free PMC Article
Aquaporin 4 expression in the hippocampus in sudden infant death syndrome and sudden unexplained death in childhood.
Eidahl JML, Stray-Pedersen A, Rognum TO, Opdal SH
J Chem Neuroanat 2021 Sep;115:101962. Epub 2021 May 1 doi: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2021.101962. PMID: 33945852
Sudden Unexpected Death in Fetal Life Through Early Childhood.
Goldstein RD, Kinney HC, Willinger M
Pediatrics 2016 Jun;137(6) doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-4661. PMID: 27230764Free PMC Article
Sudden unexplained death in childhood. An audit of the quality of autopsy reporting.
Treacy A, Cryan J, McGarvey C, Devaney D, Matthews TG
Ir Med J 2013 Mar;106(3):70-2. PMID: 23951973
Inheritance of febrile seizures in sudden unexplained death in toddlers.
Holm IA, Poduri A, Crandall L, Haas E, Grafe MR, Kinney HC, Krous HF
Pediatr Neurol 2012 Apr;46(4):235-9. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2012.02.007. PMID: 22490769Free PMC Article

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