A new study conducted by Swedish and French researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm reveals that nicotine alone may cause sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In the past, scientists have warned expectant mothers to immediately stop smoking upon the onset of pregnancy due to its link to SIDS, but the Swedish study, published in Tuesday's issue of the U.S. Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to name nicotine alone as the cause of the disorder.
The results may be an important discovery for infant care medicine because many physicians recommend nicotine gum and patches to women as a safe alternative to smoking during pregnancy. According to the study, which was conducted on mice, nicotine disrupts certain neural receptors' ability to awaken the body when oxygen levels become too low during sleep. These receptors, according to researchers, may become numb in growing fetuses if exposed to nicotine, increasing a newborn's risk of sudden death.