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Shaken Baby Syndrome
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Cot death
SBS, SIDS or Metabolic
Disorder?:
A screening test to differentiate them
by Alan R. Yurko
Unexpected or unexplained deaths of infants are tragic. There
is a trend for law enforcement, child protection agencies and the justice system to rush
to judgment in these cases where any amount of suspicion is raised, thus further
destroying an already grieving family. I describe a testing procedure for all interested
persons to rule out metabolic disorders.
Three to six percent of all sudden unexpected infant deaths are from inherited disorders
of fatty acid oxidation (FAO.) There are numerous types of these disorders. The use of
electrospray tandem mass spectrometry for analysis of these disorders is cost effective
and an important step for families, doctors, lawyers and medico-legal experts to take in
investigating such serious tragedies. The most frequently detected metabolic disorders are
medium chain and very long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiencies, as well as glutaric
acidemia type I and II deficiencies, among others.
A method for detecting these disorders of fatty acid and organic acid metabolism has been
developed. It uses small amounts of blood, which is routinely obtained at autopsy. It is
then applied to filter paper. Other biological fluids can be used as well, such as bile,
vitreous fluid and urine.
For more information on this, you can contact:
Neo Gen Screening
Attn: Donald H. Chace
P.O. Box 219
Bridgeville, PA 15017
fax: 412-220-0784
dhchace@neogenscreening.com
www.neogenscreening.com
Source: Chace DH, et al, Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of
Acylcarnitines in Dried Postmortem Blood Specimens Collected at Autopsy from Infants with
Unexplained Cause of Death; CLINICAL CHEMSTRY 2001:47(7) 1166-1182
-transcribed by Susan Kreider, RN
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Francine Yurko (NMW)
http://www.freeyurko.bizland.com
To support the Yurko Project see...
Dr. Patrick Flanagan's Anti-Oxidant Technology.
For information and ordering visit my website at:
http://www.royalbodycare.org/yurko.asp