Bel Air, Maryland – The last night of 17-month-old Hayden Fell’s life appeared to be a typical bedtime routine. With his parents and sister singing “Wheels on the Bus” to his twin brother, Hayden played happily in his pajamas. However, the following morning, Hayden’s father was unable to wake him, and the toddler had tragically become one of hundreds of seemingly healthy U.S. toddlers and preschoolers who die suddenly in their sleep each year. What makes these deaths even more heartbreaking is the fact that autopsies are unable to determine the cause.
A recent study by researchers at NYU Langone Health has shed some light on these mysterious deaths. The study suggests that seizures during sleep may be a potential cause of some cases of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC). This term is used when these unexplainable deaths occur after a child’s first birthday. The study, which analyzed home monitoring videos of the deaths of seven toddlers, offers the first direct evidence of a seizure link in some cases.
Dr. Orrin Devinsky, an NYU neurologist and senior author of the study, described the video evidence as “the best evidence we may ever get of what’s happened to these kids.” The recordings revealed that five of the toddlers died shortly after movements that were deemed to be brief seizures by a team of experts. This has raised questions about the connection between fever-related seizures, which are common in young children, and the risk of more serious outcomes.
This research is a significant step forward in understanding SUDC, a condition that claims over 400 lives a year in the U.S. Most of these deaths occur during sleep, making it even more challenging for parents to detect any warning signs.
The study’s findings, albeit alarming, do not change current advice about febrile seizures in young children. However, they do highlight the need for further research to determine the differences between children who are at risk and those who are not. By uncovering these distinctions, researchers hope to change the outcome for children at risk of SUDC.
Sudden unexplained death in childhood claims the lives of approximately 400 children in the United States every year, with the majority of deaths occurring during sleep. While this research sheds light on the potential link between seizures and SUDC, much more investigation and understanding is needed to prevent these tragic losses in the future.