Sudden infant death syndrome and cardiac channelopathies: from mechanisms to prevention of avoidable tragedies

The sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), with the load of mystery surrounding its causes and with the devastating impact on the affected families, remains the greatest contributor to post-neonatal mortality during the first year of life. Following a succinct review of the non-cardiac genetic factors, which have been associated with SIDS, we focus on the cardiac hypothesis for SIDS and specifically on those diseases produced by cardiac ion channel mutations, the so-called channelopathies. Special attention is devoted to the fact that these causes of SIDS, and especially the long QT syndrome, are preventable if diagnosed in time. This highlights the importance of neonatal ECG screening and carries a number of practical implications, including medico-legal considerations.