Microbiology and Infectious

Objective: Two recent retrospective studies independently reported typically pathogenic bacteria in normally sterile sites of infants succumbing to sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI). These findings suggested a proportion of unexplained SUDI might be triggered by bacteraemia. The objective was to assess these observations in the context of the pathology and epidemiology of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in relation to the role of infection and inflammation as triggers of these deaths. Design: A review of the literature to identify potential risk factors for unexplained infant deaths and proposal of a theoretical model for SUDI. Results: Pathologic and epidemiological evidence sug-gests a hypothesis based on three factors: bacteria