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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants
Published on: March 14, 2013
Brain water content in sudden unexpected infant death
Johanna Marie Lundesgaard Eidahl1,2, Torleiv Ole Rognum3, Arne Stray-Pedersen4,3
1Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. joheid@ous-hf.no.
Brain water content and brain weight decrease with age in infants. However, brain weight relative to head circumference increases, potentially indicating brain edema in infants. This study explores infant brain development and its relation to sudden infant death syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Pathology
- Forensic Medicine
Background:
- Infant brain development is rapid, complicating postmortem diagnosis of brain edema.
- Water homeostasis may be linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- Investigating brain growth parameters is crucial for understanding infant mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe brain water content, brain weight/body weight, and brain weight/head circumference ratios in infants.
- To examine the relationship between these parameters and the AQP4 gene rs2075575.
- To test the hypothesis that altered water homeostasis is a risk factor for SIDS.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 90 postmortem cases of sudden unexpected death in children under 4 years.
- Measurement of brain water content, brain weight/body weight, and brain weight/head circumference ratios.
- Comparison across age groups, diagnosis categories, resuscitation attempts, and presence of brain edema.
Main Results:
- Brain water content and brain weight/body weight ratio decreased with age.
- Brain weight/head circumference ratio increased with age and correlated with brain water content.
- Brain edema cases showed a significantly higher brain weight/head circumference ratio.
Conclusions:
- Brain growth parameters change significantly during the first years of life.
- Increased brain weight/head circumference ratio may indicate brain edema in infants.
- No significant differences in parameters were found between diagnostic groups, including SIDS.
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