Citation

Bolton DPG, Taylor BJ, Campbell AJ, Galland BC, Cresswell C. Arch. Dis. Child. 1993; 69(2): 187-190.

Affiliation

Department of Physiology, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8215518

PMCID

PMC1029454

Abstract

The reported association of cot death and sleeping prone could be due to rebreathing of expired gases. A mechanical model simulating the respiratory system of an infant, exhaling warm humidified air with an end tidal carbon dioxide of 5%, has been used to investigate this. Some commonly used bedding materials caused an accumulation of carbon dioxide of 7% to over 10% with the model lying face down. This phenomenon persisted even with the head inclined at 45 degrees, but only on very soft materials, and could be a cause of cot death in a baby unresponsive to asphyxial blood gas changes. A coir fibre mattress allowed complete dispersal of exhalate as did a rubber sheet between any mattress and the covering sheet.

Language: en