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Letters

Risk factors for cot death increase danger from infection

BMJ 2003; 326 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7382.222 (Published 25 January 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;326:222
  1. C Caroline Blackwell (c_c_blackwell@hotmail.com), conjoint professor,
  2. Anthony Busuttil, professor, forensic medicine unit,
  3. Donald M Weir, professor, medical microbiology
  1. University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia
  2. University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG

    EDITOR—Tappin et al found an increased risk of the sudden infant death syndrome in infants who slept on used mattresses, which was further increased if the used mattress was from another home.1 They say that the increased risk might be associated with toxigenic species of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, which grow well in body fluids that contaminate mattresses.

    View this table:

    Toxins detected in culture supernatant of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from healthy control infants and infants dying of sudden infant death syndrome. Some strains produced more than one toxin

    We …

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