Tracheobronchitis and sudden infant death syndrome

Abstract

In many infants who have died suddenly and unexpectedly post mortem examination reveals the presence of a non-suppurative tracheobronchitis. The role of the tracheobronchitis in the sudden death of the infant is not known. Analysis of a series of sudden infant deaths indicates that these infants die at an older age, i.e. over three months, and most frequently in colder months of the year. If, as suggested, these deaths constitute a distinct group, investigations regarding the mode of death should be undertaken separately from that in younger infants in whom no such lesions are found.