Viral Infection

Abstract

THE etiology of the syndrome of sudden, unexpected death has been the subject of much investigation and speculation. It is perhaps not generally realized that it represents a public-health problem of considerable magnitude. Studies have indicated that from 25 to 44 per cent^{1 , 2} of all infants dying after the neonatal period but before the age of two years do so suddenly and unexpectedly without post-mortem findings adequate to account for death. The peak incidence of this syndrome has been found uniformly to be at about three months of age, and it is relatively infrequent after the second year of life. . . .