ABSTRACT
Although the incidence of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) decreased markedly after campaigns to promote supine positioning during sleeping, it has remained unchanged over the last decade. Epidemiological data suggest a role for new causes such as suffocation, asphyxia, and entrapment. Health authorities in several countries have issued warnings about slings used to carry infants. However, few reports of infant deaths in slings have been published in medical journals. Our paediatric intensive care unit has admitted two infants who experienced cardiorespiratory arrest while carried in a sling. Diagnostic investigations including a post-mortem examination established asphyxia as the mechanism of death. In conclusion, baby slings may carry a risk of SUDI, either by compression of the baby into a forward-flexed position or by direct suffocation. European recommendations for the cautious use of baby slings should be disseminated to families and professionals involved in caring for infants, as done recently in Australia, Canada, and the USA.
Subject(s)
Asphyxia Neonatorum/complications , Bedding and Linens/adverse effects , Sleep , Sudden Infant Death/etiology , Fatal Outcome , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Prone PositionABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Capillary haemangioma of the central nervous system is extremely rare. Histologically proven cases developed in the dura mater and choroid plexus, or were typically intracranial extensions of an extra-cranial lesion. FEATURES: This report details a case that developed in the anterior choroidal artery of a newborn infant and manifested as a lethal intra-cerebral haemorrhage. Pathological criteria for the diagnosis of vascular malformations should be carefully investigated and the differential diagnoses of the present case are discussed. PROGNOSIS: Intracranial haemangioma presents a diagnostic challenge and the treatment of deep lesions remains problematic.