Science: Leading Cause of Infant Death Explained by Serotonin Receptor

New research in Science provides a specific biological mechanism for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), providing new insight into a lethal and unpredictable affliction that claims the lives of about 2500 seemingly healthy infants every year in the United States.

Until now, biological risk factors have been difficult to pinpoint. Dysfunction of the brain transmitter serotonin was believed to trigger SIDS, but no one really knew how. A report in the 5 July issue of Science shows that a particular serotonin receptor creates faulty serotonin signaling and is enough to cause death in a mouse model of SIDS.

For more information on how serotonin contributes to SIDS, read the full story.