Sudden infant death syndrome: plasma vitamin E levels and dietary factors.

Vitamin E and selenium deficiency have previously been suggested to be responsible for the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). New experimental data reveal that this is not the case since vitamin E as well as plasma selenium levels of SID infants are approximately equal to those of normal controls. Although breast feeding was believed to have a protective effect against SIDS, a statistical study of groups of SID- and control infants in San Diego County indicate no such correlation. Totally or partially breast-fed SID infants actually died at an earlier age than those fed by formula only (p=0.02). Compared to matched normal controls, SID infants appear to have received a less varied diet with a lower incidence of extradietary vitamin supplementation (p=0.02). There is also a somewhat greater prevalence of mothers smoking during pregnancy in the SID group (one-tail p=0.05).