Cot death evidence

Press, 14 May 1982, Page 8

Cot death evidence

PA Hamilton A Hamilton pathologist has discovered what he calls vital evidence conforming with United States tests into the causes of cot deaths. Dr Ranjan David has told an inquest of his discovery of a hormone in the thyroid of three babies at "sky high" levels above normal. Dr David told the Hamilton district Coroner. Mr John Webb, that the discovery of the hormone, triiodothyronine, or t 3. at high level's in the dead babies conformed with recent tests carried out in Maryland, in the United States. ' Results from the United States tests on 50 cot death cases showed more than 80 per cent had high levels of t 3 which, said Dr David, was

sufficient for a positive test of cot deaths. Dr David said later that the evidence could provide a vital clue in the search for a cot death cure. "It- is the first time we have ever had anything that comes up as positive evidence of cot deaths," said Dr David, who will visit the United States in July, when he intends to discuss his findings with researchers in Maryland. He said the presence of t 3 in the body was natural and was found both stored and in free form. "The thyroid converts it to t 4 or thyroxine, for use within the body," he said. The normal level of stored t 3 was between 0.724 and 2.48, but in one of the babies, the level was 8.87 and another, 14.6. The range of free t 3 was normally between 25 and 65. but in tests the respective levels were 100 and 340. which Dr David described as sky high. Dr David said the significance of the t 3 had not been properly explained, but the thyroid produced hormones important to the development of the central nervous system. ’ He said babies experienced a condition where there were long pauses between breaths. "Every baby does that, but

research has shown that cot death babies tend to have longer periods between breaths and it may be that this is a result of the central nervous system being affected." said Dr David. “We cannot understand why there should be higher levels of t 3, but my tests show that it at least occurs in two different parts of the world." Describing cot deaths as tragic cases, Dr David said they were unknown in Eastern countries.