'Problems in womb boost the danger of cot death'

Mothers with a placenta defect are up to three times more likely to have a baby who suffers cot death, a new study has found.

Breakthrough research carried out on mothers in Scotland found that more than half of all babies who died unexpectedly were likely to have experienced problems in the womb.

Scientists found babies may have been deprived of oxygen or nutrients before birth,

impeding the development of the brain functions controlling the heart and lungs.

Researchers at Cambridge University and the Greater Glasgow Health Board concluded that this put the babies at greater risk from environmental stresses after birth such as cigarette smoke, known to increase the incidence of cot death.