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An association between sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) andHelicobacter pylori infection
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  • Published on:
    The need for further evidence for the proposed role of Helicobacter pylori in SIDS
    Dear Editor,

    We read with interest the article by Kerr et al "An association between sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and Helicobacter pylori infection". While the proportion of samples positive for H pylori DNA were significantly higher in the SIDS group compared with the control group, the findings need to be interpreted with caution.

    PCR is a useful tool for detection of DNA. It is, however, evidence...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    Further information on SIDS and Helicobacter pylori infection - Authors' response
    • JR Kerr
    • Other Contributors:
      • "AJ Barson, JP Burnie"

    Dear Editor,

    Following the publication of our paper,[1] we would like to thank the authors for their comments and respond to them to clarify our study methodology, interpretation of the data, the impact of the media and on the directions of future work in this area.

    The possibility of PCR contamination has been suggested by Franciosi an...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    The link between H pylori and SIDS - is it proven to be causal?
    Dear Editor,

    I am writing to make my observations on the article by Kerr et al[1] suggesting a direct causal link between H pylori and SIDS. I query that the link is indeed proven on 2 counts:

    (1) When infants with SIDS are discovered in extremis by their parents/carers they invariably receive mouth to mouth resuscitation till emergency services are on the scene and take over. Saliva is a recognised mode of transm...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    Does Helicobacter pylori have a role in sudden infant death syndrome?
    Dear Editor

    Kerr et al[1] report an association between sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and Helicobacter pylori infection. In 32 SIDS cases aged up to 28 weeks old the H pylori ureC gene was amplified from the stomachs of 15, from the trachea of 19, and from the lungs of 16. The H pylori cagA gene was amplified from the stomachs of 13 (of which seven were positive for the ureC gene), from the trachea of 20, and the...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    A link between dwelling crowding, Helicobacter pylori infection and sudden infant death syndrome
    Dear Editor,

    Kerr et al[1] report a highly significant association between Helicobacter pylori infection and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This finding raises the possibility of (and a plausible mechanism for) a link between dwelling crowding and SIDS, as there are a number of studies that have documented a strong relation between dwelling crowding and H pylori infection (eg, Fall et al[2]; Webb et al[3]). Clos...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    Association is not the same as causation
    Dear Editor,

    The paper by Kerr et al describes an association between SIDS and colonisation with H pylori. In the introduction the authors state that both SIDS and colonisation with H pylori are known to be linked with poor socoieconomical status and overcrowding. This clearly suggests that some common factor (possibly smoking, possibly something else) may predispose to both conditions. Yet, in the discussion, the au...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    Death kisses for newborns?
    Dear Editor

    Kerr et al (Arch Dis Child 2000;83:429-34) claim Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) as a potential etiologic factor in SIDS. Fatal systemic ammonia intoxication through hydrolysis of urea by H pylori-produced urease in the lungs and trachea following aspiration of gastric juice was proposed as a possible pathogenic pathway.

    In general we cannot agree with this hypothesis. The molecular procedure (nested...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    SIDS and Helicobacter pylori
    • Lars Wiklund, Professor
    • Other Contributors:
      • "Gunnar Ronquist, Mary George"
    Dear Editor,

    We were interested to read the article by Kerr et al[1] on the SIDS problem. With regard to the interesting results we would like to point out some related findings. As pointed out by Kerr et al, Helicobacter pylori (HP) is abundant in less advantageous parts of society where smoking is often frequent and sometimes where SIDS occur. The fact that smoking is often inversely related to HP’s ability to colonis...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    Control your controls and conclusions
    Dear Editor,

    Kerr and co-workers[1] in a retrospective study investigated formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissues (stomach, trachea and lung) of 32 infants who had died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and eight control cases, with nested PCR and ELISA of the amplicons. A child was considered as infected with Helicobacter pylori if the optical density of the ELISA was above the mean value plus 2 SD obtained in...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    Association between SIDS and H pylori infection
    Dear Editor

    This article in the November issue of the Archives of Diseases in Childhood on the association between sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and H pylori infection is confusing. I am very familiar with H pylori colonization in gastric biopsies in children and its association with gastritis, peptic ulcer,and gastric cancer. However, the implication that the organism can cause an unexpected infant death, eg, SID...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    On sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and Helicobacter pylori infection - Authors' response

    Dear Editor,

    At present, we do not understand the pathogenesis of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), however, it is accepted to be a multifactorial disease for which certain risk factors have been identified. Various theories have been developed to explain the existence of these risk factors.

    Blackwell reminds us of the accept...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    H pylori & SIDS
    Dear Editor,

    We read with great interest the paper by Kerr et al on the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).[1] However, we cannot agree with the speculation the authors made.

    Recently, we have performed a similar retrospective analysis of 9 cases of SIDS and 8 controls collected in our hospital over the past two years. Controls were selected from infants wi...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on:
    H pylori and SIDS

    Dear Editor,

    A recent paper by Kerr et al reported an association between H pylori and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). We have reviewed their data and believe that the methods used may have led to incorrect conclusions.

    Kerr et al examined retrospective material from 32 cases of SIDS infants and 8 non-SIDS controls. They used nested PCR followed by an ELISA detection step which would have made...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.