Hemoglobin F in sudden infant death syndrome: A San Diego SIDS/SUDC Research Project report

Krous, Henry F.; Haas, Elisabeth A.; Chadwick, Amy E.; Masoumi, Homeyra; Stanley, Christina; Perry, Gary W.

doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2006.11.005

« Previous Next »Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 14, Issue 8 , Pages 456-460, November 2007

Hemoglobin F in sudden infant death syndrome: A San Diego SIDS/SUDC Research Project report

Henry F. Krous, MD
- Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center, 3020 Children’s Way, MC5007, San Diego, CA 92123, United States
- University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Corresponding author. Address: Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center, 3020 Children’s Way, MC5007, San Diego, CA 92123, United States. Tel.: +1 858 966 5944; fax: +1 858 974 8087.
Elisabeth A. Haas, MPH
- Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center, 3020 Children’s Way, MC5007, San Diego, CA 92123, United States
Amy E. Chadwick, BA
- Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center, 3020 Children’s Way, MC5007, San Diego, CA 92123, United States
Homeyra Masoumi, MD
- Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center, 3020 Children’s Way, MC5007, San Diego, CA 92123, United States
Christina Stanley, MD
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, San Diego County, San Diego, CA, United States
Gary W. Perry, PhD
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, United States

Received 6 September 2006; received in revised form 21 November 2006; accepted 21 November 2006.

Abstract

Whether levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF), a possible marker of antecedent hypoxemia, are increased in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) compared to controls is unresolved. Our aims are to: (1) Compare percent fetal hemoglobin (%HbF) levels in SIDS and control cases, and (2) compare our findings with those reported in previous studies. Using Triton-acid-urea gel electrophoresis and quantitative densitometry, %HbF was determined in whole blood specimens obtained at autopsy from SIDS and control cases accessioned into the San Diego SIDS/SUDC Research Project database. The SIDS and control cases were not different with respect to mean age, gender, gestational age, method of delivery, birth weight, or mean autopsy interval; %HbF levels in SIDS and control cases were not significantly different. Given that our results were obtained using optimal methods in well-defined SIDS and control cases, we concur with others that %HbF is not elevated in SIDS.

Keywords: SIDS, Fetal hemoglobin, Sudden infant death, Hypoxia