Esophageal dysmotility and the sudden infant death syndrome: experimental observations of neonatal puppies.

The authors review the relationship between esophageal dysfunction (dysmotility) and the unusual cardiopulmonary and neurological manifestations equated with the symptoms of the "near-miss" sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Six beagle puppies were studied to see whether esophageal irritation and dilatation could provoke any cardiac dysrhythmia. Some of the cardiographic irregularities observed in 10 of 11 trials occasionally precede fatal ventricular dysfunction. The authors conclude that esophageal irritation can be responsible for cardiac arrest and that one important cause of SIDS is esophageal dysmotility.