A silent cloud of CO2 in the safe space of the crib - understanding SIDS: a model simulation

INTRODUCTION: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a disease syndrome with an as yet unexplained cause, resulting in the sudden death of an infant commonly considered healthy/healthy developing, occurring during sleep. Due to the lack of detection of a direct cause of sudden infant death syndrome in infants, many theories, suspicions, and risk factors have emerged, but no research method has confirmed an absolute cause of this syndrome. The purpose of this study was to assess the dynamics of CO₂ accumulation in crib volume under model conditions, taking into account the influence of crib design, season, and environmental parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out in a room replicating the conditions of a child’s bedroom, using two types of cribs (home and medical) and infant mannequins heated to 37 ° C. Ventilation of a 4-month-old infant (VE 2000 ppm, particularly in the evening. In the medical crib, no significant increases in concentrations were observed. A positive correlation between humidity and CO₂ concentration was observed, as well as destabilisation of the gas cloud at atmospheric pressure >990 hPa. Fluorescence visualisation confirmed the presence of a stable CO₂ layer over the chest and neck. CONCLUSIONS: The accumulation in the CO2 crib space is not uniform – the gas forms a local cloud in the respiratory zone, which can lead to hypercapnia and ventilation disorders. Crib design and environmental conditions play a key role in modulating the risk of SIDS. The results obtained highlight the importance of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of SIDS and suggest directions for further research on the prevention of this phenomenon.