The role of respiratory failure caused by congenital central nervous system abnormalities and the effect of β-casomorphins in sudden infant death syndrome pathogenesis.

The aim of the paper is to discuss the role of respiratory failure caused by endogenous (both structural and functional) abnormalities in the central nervous system and exogenous food-derived opioid-like peptides in the pathogenesis of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). By stimulating μ-opioid receptors, opioid-like peptides may suppress the tonic activity of the respiratory centre in the brain stem.