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Original articles: Michael H Malloy Size for gestational age at birth: impact on risk for sudden infant death and other causes of death, USA 2002 Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2007; 92: F473-F478 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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This may be explained by DHEA Levels

James M. Howard   (21 November 2007)

This may be explained by DHEA Levels 21 November 2007
James M. Howard, Biologist independent Send letter to journal: Re: This may be explained by DHEA Levels jmhoward{at}anthropogeny.com James M. Howard	It is my hypothesis that all tissues rely on DHEA for optimal function. Low DHEA has been found in preterm infants (Acta Paediatr. 2007 Nov;96(11):1600-5). I suggest this may be due to reduced availability of maternal DHEA as the infant does not start producing its own DHEA until birth. It is also my hypothesis that SIDS results from excessively low DHEA during sleep which results in lack of support of brainstem activity. SIDS, as well as other negative "residual causes" of morbidity, may be increased in SGA infants because of low DHEA. Conversely, large for gestational age infants may represent infants that have developed within a milieu of readily available DHEA. Infants that have developed with readily available DHEA should exhibit a "reduced risk of mortality for all causes."