Pattern of the maturity of the neurological system related to a mathematical model of the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome

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Title Pattern of the maturity of the neurological system related to a mathematical model of the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome
Publication Type thesis
School or College College of Nursing
Department Nursing
Author Coleman, Rebecca Ann
Date 1979-03
Description A pilot study was done with regard to the relationship between a pattern of neurological maturity and a model of the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Ten Caucasian infants, born in Salt Lake City, Utah, were studied at one, two, three, and four months of age. A neurological exam was performed at each age and questions about the infant having had any respiratory infections were asked of the infant's mother. This pilot study suggests that neurological development might explain a model of SIDS. Reflexes that disappear with age were tested and graphed against reflexes which increase with age. The reflexes tested which increase with age included visual response, inanimate auditory response, animate visual and auditory responses, asymmetrical tonic neck reflex, stripping action of the tongue, rate of sucks, grouping of sucks, pull to a sit, cuddliness, consolability, plantar reflex and palmar reflex. The reflexes which decrease with age included the Babinski reflex, walking, placing, incurvation of the trunk, the Moro reflex, the rooting reflex, ankle clonus and the number of startles observed during the exam. The researcher was able to graph the line of the reflexes that increase with age to intersect with the line of reflexes that decrease with age. The intersection occurred between two and three months of age. This might suggest the presence of a neurological strain at this age. This is also the time of greatest vulnerability to SIDS. It was also interesting to note that this study showed that male infants retain the reflexes that decline longer than females.This study also revealed a peak of respiratory infections at two months of age. It is possible that SIDS occurs at an age when an infant is most vulnerable both neurologically and in the probability of acquiring a respiratory insult. A study with a larger sample size needs to be done to substantiate this data.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Neurologic Manifestations of General Diseases
Subject MESH Sudden Infant Death; Nursing
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name MS
Language eng
Relation is Version of Digital reproduction of "The pattern of the maturity of the neurological system related to a mathematical model of the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome." Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library. Print version of "The pattern of the maturity of the neurological system related to a mathematical model of the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome." available at J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collection. RJ 25.5 1979 C64
Rights Management © Rebecca Ann Coleman.
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 1,145,086 bytes
Identifier undthes,5008
Source Original: University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library (no longer available).
Master File Extent 1,145,116 bytes
ARK ark:/87278/s6sj1nf7
Setname ir_etd
ID 191220
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6sj1nf7
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