Need

For the families of the 500 babies that die suddenly and unexpectedly across the country every year, currently only around 200 of them will be given a reason as to why their baby died. That leaves 300 families looking for an answer. We already know that bacteria play a part in cot death but they are also found in babies who died of other causes.

Solution

Pathologist, Professor Neil Sebire and his team at Great Ormond Street Hospital, plan to use a new lab technique known as proteomics to see if infection may actually be a cause of some deaths. The team will look at changes in the pattern of proteins found in tissue samples, which could identify those babies who died as the result of infection. If they are successful, then it would be possible to develop a cheap and fast post-mortem test so that more families can find out why their baby died.

Aims

Distinguish babies who have died from infection-related causes from those that died of other causes.

Activities

» To achieve this aim, the research team will identify a pattern in protein changes in samples obtained from post-mortem examination.

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To develop a cheap and fast post-mortem test so that more families can find out why their baby died.

Activities

» To achieve this aim the team of researchers will need to identify the two or three "best " proteins for this purpose to develop the test.

If this is successful and applied, more families will be given a reason as to why their baby died rather than the cause of death being "unexplained".

Impact

The number of families never being given an answer as to why their baby died will be reduced. This currently stands at 300 families across the country every year. The success will easily be demonstrated in the annual number of unexplained infant deaths published by the Office of National Statistics, which could be be reduced should the project be successful.

Risk

There is a risk that the project could over run. To mitigate against this, FSID's CEO, Francine Bates, will build a good relationship and lines of communication with the Great Ormond Street team. Progress will be closely monitored and all the appropriate research approvals are in place, before the project begins.

Reporting

Via specific e-updates, when and as developments occur. In addition, we will do a more formal annual update including a video clip of the GOSH team at work and a short interview with the lead researcher, Prof. Neil Sebire. Major donors will be given the opportunity to visit the laboratory and team.

Budget - Project Cost: £129,421

Location

The research will take place at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Beneficiaries

The 300 or so families who will tragically have a baby die suddenly and unexpectedly every year in the UK. Each year the lives of more than 500 families are shattered by the sudden and unexpected death of a baby. Reasons for the majority of these deaths are never found, and parents are left with the conclusion of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or "cot death". Cot death is the leading cause of deaths in babies over one month old. 74% of cot deaths now occur in disadvantaged families.

Why Us?

FSID is the world's leading voluntary organisation in the field of sudden infant death, and the UK's largest funder of medical research into SIDS. All infant safe sleep messages disseminated across the country by the Department of Health and health professionals to new parents are informed by our research. As a result of our work, since 1991 nearly 19,000 babies’ lives have been saved.

Read more about the Charity running this project.

People

Professor Neil Sebire

Lead researcher. A Professor of Paediatric Pathology at Great Ormond Street Hospital / Institute of Child Health. .

Professor N Klein

Researcher. Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology at Great Ormond Street Hospital / Institute of Child Health.

Dr K Mills

Researcher. Lecturer in Proteomics at the Institute of Child Health.

Dr M Weber

Researcher. Consultant in Paediatric Pathology at Great Ormond Street Hospital.