Cot death: the warning signs

Doctors today identified early warning signs that could help cut the number of cot deaths.

They believe complaints as common as sweating and sore gums should be carefully monitored.

The breakthrough follows a groundbreaking study into early health problems among babies who die suddenly.

In previous studies, mothers have been questioned after their baby has died - potentially affecting the accuracy and objectivity of their answers.

The latest study involved mothers unaware their infants would later suffer cot deaths. The results revealed that babies who went on to die suddenly were up to eight times more likely to suffer from common complaints prior to their deaths.

Among the key warning signs identified are paleness, sweating, sore gums and irritability. Dr Mike Weiloo, from the department of child health at Leicester Royal Infirmary, who led the research, said: "Our study suggests that these apparently minor conditions may be the first signs of something more serious.

"They may be the early signs of some illness, which puts a baby at risk. Mothers should not be afraid to push for further investigation, and should not be made to feel like they are making too much fuss."

Cot death, also known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is the leading cause of mortality among babies less than a year old. Last year there were 187 cases in England and Wales - with most victims appearing healthy up until death.

In the latest study, mothers were given a checklist of 26 different signs and symptoms, and asked to keep diaries of their new baby's health. They were also asked to detail what medicines and immunisations their infants had received.

The results showed that in the first few months of their lives, babies who went on to suffer cot deaths were more than eight times more likely to look pale, six times more likely to be sweaty, and twice as likely to be irritable as those who survived.

Babies who died suddenly were also three times as likely to be recorded as suffering from sore gums, and three times more likely to be suffering from the effects of cold temperatures.

The new study, published in the journal Archives Of Disease In Childhood, involved more than 100 mothers who had lost babies to cot death in the past, and went on to have another child. Of the 119 babies involved in the study, 21 died suddenly, of which 11 were cot deaths, and 10 died for known reasons.

Dr Weiloo said: "Doctors would not be taught to look out for these symptoms as possible signs of cot death during their medical training. But the study showed they are worth paying attention to."

Previous research has indicated that putting a baby to sleep on its front, or allowing a baby to become too hot, could trigger a cot death.

Last month, it also emerged that some parents put their babies at risk by giving them too much bedding.

Cot-death charities welcomed the study today.

Joyce Epstein, director of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, said: "The concern has always been that the baby's death might have affected parents' recollections of the infant's condition prior to death.

"This study shows that cot death babies may, from birth, intrinsically differ from other babies."