ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 May 2002
Page Count: 3

Failure to Detect Elevated Levels of Carboxyhemoglobin in Infants Dying from SIDS
Stevenson, DK
Stanford University Medical Center, CA

Fowler, DR
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, MD

Donoghue, ER
Office of the Medical Examiner of Cook County, IL

Hauck, FR
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, IL

Vreman, HJ
Stanford University Medical Center, CA

Zielke, HR
University of Maryland, MD

Smialek, JE

Meny, RG
University of Maryland, MD

(Received 4 October 2001; accepted 18 September 2001)

Abstract

Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels were determined in stored blood samples from 91 infants diagnosed to have died from the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) ( 0.59 _0.41%, excluding one outlying value of 10.83%); 48 age-matched controls (0.53 _ 0.38%); and three individuals who died from fire related causes (41 _ 20%). No statistical differences in COHb levels were detected between blood from SIDS and control infants (p _ 0.43).

Keywords:
forensic science, sudden infant death syndrome, carbon monoxide, carboxyhemoglobin

Paper ID: JFS15309J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS15309J
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