A psychedelic clue to the cause of SIDS

It's a new parent's worst nightmare: sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a mysterious, fatal affliction in newborns with an unknown cause. Last year, a study published in the Lancet journal eBioMedicine offered compelling evidence that a cholinergic enzyme in living infants could be a biomarker, and indicate a newborn's risk of SIDS.

Despite three decades of public health efforts, SIDS remains the leading cause of death for infants in the U.S. An estimated 1,389 babies died from SIDS in 2020. At the time when the study was published, parents on social media understandably expressed a collective sigh of relief and jubilation. Some went as far to say "they found the cure for SIDS." As The Scientist reported after the buzz faded, the report was in some ways taken out of context. One year later, a cure has yet to materialize.

But hope isn't lost. This week, another piece has been added to the global search for a cause, and eventual cure or treatment for the syndrome. A separate group of scientists published a paper on May 25 in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology adding to other evidence that SIDS could be the cause of abnormalities in the serotonergic system, which relates to the neurotransmitter serotonin. It is implicated in a wide range of physiological and psychological processes, including mood, sleep and circadian rhythms.