Crib videos helped researchers determine the cause of sudden death in toddlers

Experts at NYU Langone Health have released an analysis of research conducted over the course of a decade, determining that seizures might be the cause of several sudden infant death cases in the U.S.

The findings, published in the journal Neurology online on Jan. 4, involved an analysis by a team of eight physicians, using donated crib videos from families whose toddlers died due to sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC). SUDC is estimated to claim over 400 lives a year in the U.S., mostly during sleep, with roughly 250 of those deaths occurring in toddlers between the ages of 1 and 4. It differs from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which impacts babies under the age of 1.

Researchers looked at video recordings of seven toddlers who failed to wake up, finding that “brief” seizures seemed to cause each one, lasting less than 60 seconds each and occurring within 30 minutes of each child’s death. The team of physicians notes that though the study is a small one, it could provide insight into other seemingly unexpected and unexplained childhood deaths, as autopsies frequently are unable to determine the cause of death in cases like these.

“Our study, although small, offers the first direct evidence that seizures may be responsible for some sudden deaths in children, which are usually unwitnessed during sleep,” said study lead investigator Laura Gould, MSc, MA, PT, a research assistant professor at NYU Langone. Gould began her work to establish the SUDC Registry and Research Collaborative at NYU Langone after losing her own 15-month-old daughter, Maria, to SUDC in 1997.

“These study findings show that seizures are much more common than patients’ medical histories suggest, and that further research is needed to determine if seizures are frequent occurrences in sleep-related deaths in toddlers, and potentially in infants, older children, and adults,” added study senior investigator and neurologist Orrin Devinsky, MD.

Though these findings seem alarming, health experts want parents to know that seizures in toddlers, as well as SUDC cases, are still “very rare” and that there are “no obvious warning signs” to look out for. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook (who also works at NYU Langone but was not involved in the study) does want parents to be aware of febrile seizures, or a convulsion that is caused by fever. Fever-related seizures affect 2% to 5% of babies and toddlers between ages 6 months and 5 years.

“One little clue is there is an increased risk of febrile seizures — that’s the seizures associated with fever in children — who then go on to have this unexplained death between the ages of 1 and 4,” LaPook told  “CBS Mornings.” Though one in 25 children will experience a febrile seizure, LaPook notes that the “vast majority go on to do perfectly well.”

“Of course parents are concerned,” LaPook said, but he emphasized that fatal cases are “very rare.”

As with any concerns, checking in with your pediatrician is always a solid move. But rest assured that researchers are merely using this data to help minimize risk whenever and wherever possible, especially in a situation where it’s historically been so tough to find concrete answers.