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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning


Common Features of SIDS Babies and Possible Links to CO:

  • SIDS occurs most commonly between 2 to 4 months of age.

  • More male babies die from SIDS than do female babies.

  • The SIDS baby is often noted to have a history of irritability, vomiting episodes, tachycardia (accelerated heartbeat) and tachypnea (accelerated breathing).

  • The SIDS baby often has a cold or some other mild respiratory ailment shortly before or at the time of death.

  • The SIDS baby often has a history of chronic hypoxia.

  • SIDS infants commonly have a smoker in the home.

  • A correlation has been noted between the incidence of CO poisonings, CO related deaths, and SIDS deaths in the winter.

  • An increased risk for SIDS was reported during weekends and holidays in Norway over a 19-year period (1967-1985).

  • Some of the pathological findings at autopsy in SIDS victims and CO poisoning victims are similar.



    ...... last changed 02/19/00


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