[Clinical and anatomo-pathologic study of 59 cases of sudden infant death]

A proper organization has been set up at Antoine-Béclère's hospital in order to study the infants who died suddenly. Between July 1985 and July 1987, 69 cases (10 babies less than 1 week of age) were admitted. The purpose of this work was, for the 59 sudden deaths of infants aged more than 1 week (35 males, 24 females), to present the results of a definite protocol of investigation (past history, clinical examination, laboratory and pathological data) for determining either the etiology or the mechanism of these deaths. A thorough investigation was performed in 45/52 cases (no autopsy in 7 cases). A definite diagnosis was possible in 38/45: 13 viral infections, 5 gastro-esophageal reflux, 13 viral infections associated with reflux, 9 with an additional event (massive alimentary inhalation, slipping under blankets, major hyperthermia) to either a viral infection or a reflux, 1 cardiac malformation, 1 metabolic disorder, 2 accidents and 1 infanticide. With this protocol, 7/45 deaths remained unexplained. This medical approach of the problem of sudden deaths in infants is beneficial to the counselling of the parents and to the management of subsequent children.