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QT interval prolongation in future SIDS victims: a polysomnographic study
Patricia Franco1, José Groswasser, Sonia Scaillet
1Pediatric Sleep Unit, Hôpital M&re-Enfant & INSERM-U628, University Lyon, Lyon, France. pfranco@univ-lyon1.fr
Sleep
|December 19, 2008
Summary
Infants who later died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) had prolonged QTc intervals during sleep compared to healthy infants. This finding suggests a link between QTc prolongation, autonomic dysfunction, and SIDS risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pediatrics
- Autonomic Neuroscience
Background:
- Prolonged QTc interval in early life has been linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- Autonomic nervous system imbalance has been observed in infants who later succumb to SIDS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if future SIDS victims exhibit longer QTc intervals during sleep compared to controls.
- To determine if QTc interval differences correlate with autonomic imbalance in these infants.
Main Methods:
- QTc intervals and heart rate variability were analyzed during polysomnographic sleep recordings.
- 18 infants who died of SIDS were compared with 18 matched control infants.
- Analysis included power spectral analysis of heart rate during sleep.
Main Results:
- Future SIDS victims showed significantly longer QTc intervals during total, REM, and NREM sleep compared to controls.
- The difference in QTc intervals was most pronounced during the latter part of the night.
- A negative correlation was found between parasympathetic activity and QTc interval duration.
Conclusions:
- Infants who died of SIDS had increased QTc intervals compared to matched controls.
- This QTc interval prolongation may be associated with the autonomic dysfunction observed in SIDS cases.
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