LONDON -Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a somewhat mysterious phenomenon, is considered one of the major causes of death for children under 1. Now according to British researchers they found bacteria as contributing factor in this connection.

Potentially dangerous bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli were found in almost half of those babies who died suddenly without any known reason during ten years at a London hospital. The findings have been published in Friday’s Lancet medical journal.

“This may prove a central piece to solve that puzzle” stated Marian Willinger, a SIDS expert at the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Its worth mentioning that Marian is not associated to the British study.

The researchers also pointed out, though bacteria have been found in Sudden infant death syndrome, yet it can’t be said that the bugs were responsible for these deaths. Some other doctors have also been suspecting bacterial infections as to play a pivotal role in SIDS.

According to Doctor Nigel Klein, a professor at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, it is still not known whether it is a reason behind deaths or it is just identifying another latent threat.

He further added that there might be some other possible reason of higher level of bacteria in SIDS cases, like high room temperature or poor ventilation .It is alos possible that it is just coincidental.

In the U.S., more than 2000 SIDS deaths occur every year. When a SIDS is diagnosed, it means that there is no other cause of death found in an otherwise healthy infant.

Autopsy samples from 470 infants who died suddenly without any known reason between 1996 and 2005, were examined by the researchers and the noted dangerous bacteria in almost 181 babies that is almost half of the 365 whose reason of death is not known and similar bacteria were also found in 14 out 53 babies whose causes of death were known besides those who died due to bacterial infections.

A large number of these bacteria were found in the lungs and spleens of the babies.

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