RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Rebreathing expired gases from bedding: a cause of cot death?
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 187
OP 190
DO 10.1136/adc.69.2.187
VO 69
IS 2
A1 Bolton, D P
A1 Taylor, B J
A1 Campbell, A J
A1 Galland, B C
A1 Cresswell, C
YR 1993
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/69/2/187.abstract
AB The reported association of cot death and sleeping prone could be due to rebreathing of expired gases. A mechanical model simulating the respiratory system of an infant, exhaling warm humidified air with an end tidal carbon dioxide of 5%, has been used to investigate this. Some commonly used bedding materials caused an accumulation of carbon dioxide of 7% to over 10% with the model lying face down. This phenomenon persisted even with the head inclined at 45 degrees, but only on very soft materials, and could be a cause of cot death in a baby unresponsive to asphyxial blood gas changes. A coir fibre mattress allowed complete dispersal of exhalate as did a rubber sheet between any mattress and the covering sheet.