Life is surely the biggest gift that we’ve all been given, but unfortunately, not all of us will get to enjoy it for too long. Every single day across the world, hundreds of thousands of children are born, and many adults leave this world as well. But sometimes, life doesn’t seem fair for the little ones, as they can also pass away without an apparent explanation.
What could possibly be the cause for such a dreadful outcome when a child who has just seen daylight passes away with no warning signs? We prefer our loved ones here on Earth as long as possible.
There could be a genetic cause for SUDC
SUDC stands for sudden unexplained deaths in children. There’s also SIDS, meaning sudden infant death syndrome, referring to when the child is less than 12 months old. According to ScienceAlert,com, researchers analyzed 124 molecular autopsy results using genetic data and found what could be causing some of the SUDC cases.
The scientists involved found eight gene variants that are connected to health issues such as heart arrhythmias, epilepsy, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Six of the gene variants play a role in calcium signaling.
Interestingly enough, the parents of the children who passed away didn’t have the same mutations. This means that the mutations weren’t transmitted to the children.
Richard Tsien, a neuroscientist from NYU, declared as quoted by ScienceAlert.com:
Our study is the largest of its kind to date, the first to prove that there are definite genetic causes of SUDC, and the first to fill in any portion of the risk picture,
Along with providing comfort to parents, new findings about genetic changes involved will accumulate with time, reveal the mechanisms responsible, and serve as the basis for new treatment approaches.
Feel free to read about the new findings in a more detailed view on ScienceAlert.com!
