The SIDS–critical diaphragm failure hypothesis revisited

Abstract

Dear Sir, Since the publication of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)–critical diaphragm failure (CDF) hypothesis in 2011 (1), it has attracted the attention of several investigators active in the field (2,3). In addition to the published commentary, the author has corresponded with several colleagues regarding the potential role of critical diaphragm failure in SIDS. In several of these communications, I have been asked about three salient characteristics of SIDS that were not discussed in the original article. They relate to the inverse correlation between SIDS and breast-feeding, and the positive correlations between the male gender and cigarette smoke and SIDS. In this letter, I will briefly describe how the SIDS–CDF hypothesis would approach these questions and highlight implications for future SIDS research.