NIH Radio
SIDS Linked to Low Levels of Serotonin – 2
Narrator: This is NIH Health Matters. In a recent study, researchers theorize that a newly discovered serotonin abnormality may reduce infants’ capacity to respond to breathing challenges, such as low oxygen levels or high levels of carbon dioxide. Dr. Marian Willinger at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development explains.
Dr. Willinger: If a baby's face is covered by bedding they may re-breathe their expired air and that expired air is rich in carbon dioxide and low in oxygen, that is what you breathe out.
Narrator: Serotonin is a brain chemical that conveys messages between cells and plays a vital role in regulating breathing. For more information on this study and SIDS, visit www.nichd.nih.gov. Health Matters is produced by the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Contact Us
Send questions or comments to:
Joe Balintfy
NIH News Media Branch
NIHRadio@mail.nih.gov
301-435-7557
About NIH Radio
NIH Radio offers free audio news programs from the National Institutes of Health, your reliable source for health information.
All NIH Radio content is in the public domain and can be used without charge or restriction provided that it is not used to misrepresent our agency nor used to suggest we endorse any private organization, product, or service.
NIH Radio is a service of the Office of Communications & Public Liaison.
Social Media Links