PEDIATRICS Vol. 65 No. 6 June 1980, pp. 1137-1139
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Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Laura S. Hillman MD1, Marilyn Erickson PhD1, and John G. Haddad Jr MD1

1 Edward Mallinckrodt Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine; Division of Neonatology, St Louis Children's Hospital; and Division of Metabolism, The Jewish Hospital of St Louis, St Louis

Among the many theories put forth to explain sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a theory of vitamin D deficiency. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) serum concentrations were measured in 31 SIDS and 24 postmortem control infants. 25-OHD was 19.0 ± 7.9 mg/ml in SIDS, 16.9 ± 5.2 ng/ml in acute death control infants, and 11.9 ± 4.4 ng/ml in in-hospital deaths. For four "near miss" infants the mean serum 25-OHD concentration was 21.1 ± 4.1 ng/ml. The mean serum 25-OHD concentration of 39 living premature or small-for-gestational-age infants at 3 months of age was 26 ± 9.9. Serum calcium and serum copper concentrations were also the same in SIDS and control infants. Parathyroid hormone was measured in ten and was detectable in five SIDS infants. These data eliminate a simple vitamin D deficiency or a 25-OHD deficiency as a significant contribution to the pathophysiology of SIDS.

Submitted on August 9, 1979
Accepted on September 27, 1979