BEL AIR, Md. – The last night of 17-month-old Hayden Fell’s life was tragically uneventful. As captured on crib video, the toddler played happily in his pajamas while his parents and sister sang to him and his twin brother. However, that ordinary night ended in a nightmare when Hayden’s father found him unresponsive the next morning, marking him as one of the hundreds of healthy U.S. toddlers and preschoolers who die suddenly in their sleep each year, with autopsies failing to determine the cause. Yet, the footage from Hayden’s crib camera offered a crucial clue.
Researchers from NYU Langone Health have reported that seizures during sleep may be a potential cause of some cases of sudden unexplained death in childhood, or SUDC, after analyzing video recordings of seven sleeping toddlers. Similar to SIDS in babies, SUDC occurs when children over one year old unexpectedly die in their sleep. While little is known about SUDC, some scientists have long suspected seizures may play a role. The new study provides the first direct evidence of a seizure link, with five of the toddlers dying shortly after movements considered to be brief seizures by a team of experts. The recordings, however, are unable to confirm whether fevers triggered the seizures, although some toddlers showed signs of mild infections.
SUDC claims the lives of over 400 children each year in the U.S., with most deaths occurring during sleep, and just over half of the deaths happening to 1- to 4-year-olds. Unlike SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which affects newborns, SUDC occurs in children who are well past the age of SIDS, leaving many families unaware of the possibility until it happens.
Hayden’s parents, inspired by the video evidence, are now pushing for further research to find answers. As Hayden’s mother, Katie Czajkowski-Fell, expressed, “His life, it was too precious and too important for us to not try and do something with this tragedy.”
In conclusion, SUDC remains an enigma, and the search for answers is ongoing. The revelation that seizures during sleep may be linked to sudden unexplained childhood deaths sheds new light on a devastating issue, prompting further research and action in hopes of preventing future tragedies.