Abstract
Summary: Nocturnal sleep organization was compared in normal infants and those “at risk” for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (siblings and near-miss infants). Before 12 weeks of age, sleep modifications were observed in “at risk” infants. During their sleep they had a smaller percentage of intervening wakefulness with a higher amount of active sleep. Quiet and active sleep episodes had longer durations resulting in a longer sleep cycle. After 12 weeks, sleep organization tended to normalize. This fact is discussed as a possible factor for a SIDS event: a higher arousal threshold could play a critical role if homeostasy is disturbed during sleep, mainly at an age when the homeostatic control is not fully established.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Navelet, Y., Payan, C., Guilhaume, A. et al. Nocturnal Sleep Organization in Infants “at Risk” for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Pediatr Res 18, 654–657 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198407000-00018
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198407000-00018
This article is cited by
-
Infants at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): Differential prediction for three siblings of SIDS infants
Journal of Behavioral Medicine (1988)