Causes of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood

 

Sudden unexplainable death in childhood, also called SUDC, is the unexplainable death in children over 12 months. It's the same as the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but SIDS is diagnosed in children under 12 months, and Sudden unexplainable death in childhood (SUDC) is diagnosed in children 12months and older. SUDC is a disease that can't be predicted and prevented from happening. It's been observed by “U.S. Centers for disease control and prevention that in 2018 392 children aged 1-18 years died due to SUDC. As said by them, most were toddlers aged 1-4 years.”

 

Synonyms

These are a few synonyms of sudden unexplained death in childhood

SUDC
SUDIC

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms in children after the death were noticed. Most of the children were sleeping right before they died from SUDC. Some of them were in good shape and health with not a single symptom of any illness. While some were suffering from cold and fever, and others had suffered from febrile seizures and who also had family members who had history of it.

What is a febrile seizure?

It's a convulsion (a seizure) child due to the change in the temperature of the body. That fever is caused due to an infection. The febrile seizure occurs in 2 to 5% of children who are aged from 3 months to 5 to 6 years. It also has a tendency of running into families. If any family member has it, then there's a chance of the child suffering from it too.

Causes of SUDC

Researchers have been searching for a proper cause of sudden unexplainable death inchildhood, yet it remains unexplained. Though when going through the reports of those affected, their circumstances of death and autopsy, the main cause can be heart arrhythmias and seizures.

Heart arrhythmias are also called cardiac arrhythmia, in which the heartbeat is noted to be irregular, too slow, or too fast.

Seizures also called epileptic seizures caused due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.

According to research, many families noticed its relation with a sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP), which is the unexpected, non-traumatic and sudden death in a person with epilepsy due to febrile seizures.

Many doctors have examined the brains of the affected children after they suffered from SUDC, and they observed that there was an abnormal development in a part of the brain which was in the temporal lobe. They have stated that It's still unknown whether those seizures were caused by it or not and if they have any direct connection with death.

Populations that were affected

It was observed that 60% of toddlers died due to SUDC aged from 1-4 years, but younger children can also get affected.

 

Disorders similar to SUDC

The disorder similar to SUDC is the sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). It's a sudden, unexpected, and non-drowning death in a person with epilepsy. In SUDEP, autopsy reveals nothing, not even a toxicological or anatomical cause for death. Just like SUDC, the person who died of SUDEP was in perfect health and died unexpectedly. Their death was not due to some accident or seizure, and when the autopsy was done, no death cause was revealed.

Another related disorder is the sudden arrhythmia death syndromes (SADS), the genetic heart condition that causes unexpected death in children, young and perfectly healthy people. However, sudden arrhythmia death syndrome is treatable and preventable. Sudden arrhythmia death syndrome is caused due to the history of family. One out of every other children have a 50% probability of getting infected with this condition. Children die due to SADS because of two reasons either because of the history of family of sudden arrhythmia death syndrome or unexplained death(untreated) or because of fainting. SADS occur in children due to the heart condition- heart beats abnormally.

 

SUDC is a category of death rather than a diagnosis. Whenever a child dies due toSUDC, a proper investigation should be opened, including the place where the child died, child's medical history and their family's as well, interview with the babysitter, and a complete autopsy. Professionals should be involved with investigating such cases, and their families should be provided effective medical follow-up and proper communication. 

 

Author Bio:

Besides being an avid reader, Dr. Regina Johnson is an Indie Author, a publishing house CEO — EOJ Publisher, a Naval Officer, and a public speaker. A part-time author and a mother to beautiful Orlanda, she recently ventured her book store in 2020. She may have a lot on her plate, but reading to her daughter every night is what she loves the most!