Stillbirths, Sudden Infant Deaths, and Long-QT Syndrome

tillbirths contribute substantially to perinatal mortality in developed countries. 1 2] Another mysterious cause of early sudden death is represented by sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), Finally, a relatively large number of sudden deaths in the young (infants, children, and teenagers) is due to long-QT syndrome (LQTS). 7-10 Are these entities completely unrelated or is there a link between them, such that the latter might be a contributor to the former? As a matter of fact, this specific hypothesis has already been proposed. Its interest lies in the fact that, beyond the scientific and conceptual implications, if proven correct it could offer an opportunity to prevent those fetal or infant deaths sharing the same genetic and arrhythmogenic mechanism.