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Witnessed sleep-related seizure and sudden unexpected death in infancy: a case report

Hannah C Kinney1, Anna G McDonald, Megan E Minter

  • 1Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Hannah.kinney@childrens.harvard.edu

Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology
|July 16, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Sudden infant death may be linked to seizures. This case highlights the potential for seizures to trigger cardiorespiratory arrest in infants, a possibility for the forensic community to consider.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Forensic Pathology
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Sudden death in infants is rare but crucial for understanding underlying mechanisms.
  • Investigating witnessed sudden deaths provides vital clues to etiology.

Observation:

  • An 8-month-old boy experienced witnessed seizures and respiratory distress in the prone position during sleep.
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated, leading to anoxic encephalopathy and subsequent brain death.

Findings:

  • Autopsy revealed no primary anatomical cause of death.
  • Metabolic testing excluded inborn errors of metabolism.
  • Seizures may have been secondary to hypoxia-ischemia or the primary event triggering cardiorespiratory arrest.

Implications:

  • This case suggests seizures could be a primary cause of sudden unexplained infant death.
  • Highlights the need to consider epilepsy as a potential trigger for cardiorespiratory arrest in infants.
  • Informs the forensic community about a potential, previously underrecognized, mechanism for sudden infant death.

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