T J Sprott OBE 10 Combes Road
MSc PhD FNZIC Remuera
Consulting chemist AUCKLAND 5
Forensic scientist Phone/fax: (09) 5231150


11 November 2004


MEDIA RELEASE FOR PUBLICATION

SPROTT: "LONG QT THEORY" FOR COT DEATHS ALREADY DISPROVED

The newly published theory that some cot deaths are caused by "Long QTsyndrome" (a heart rhythm abnormality) is already disproved, says cot death expert Dr Jim Sprott.

Researchers at the University of Pavia (Italy) say that research has shown that some babies have longer than normal QT intervals between heartbeats, and that this abnormality may account for up to 15% of cot deaths.

"Like all medical theories for the cause of cot death, the Long QT theory can be destroyed in a few sentences," said Dr Sprott. "It is contrary to well-established cot death epidemiology."

Cot death statistics show that the incidence of cot death rises with birth
order: the risk rises from first babies to second babies in families; and from second babies to third babies; and rises again for later babies.
Cot
death risk is highest among babies of solo parents.

"The rising rate of cot death from one sibling to the next disproves the Long QT theory," said Dr Sprott. "Are the promoters of the Long QT theory suggesting that first babies usually have good gaps between heartbeats; but second babies have longer gaps; and third babies have even longer gaps; and babies of solo parents have the longest gaps? It's ridiculous."

The rising rate of cot death from one sibling to the next is explained by the toxic gas theory for cot death: cot death is caused by gases generated in mattresses (and other bedding), and the risk of exposure to those gases rises as mattresses are re-used from one baby to the next.

"Here in New Zealand we've been wrapping babies' mattresses for cot death prevention for nearly ten years", said Dr Sprott. "Since mattress-wrapping began, the New Zealand nationwide cot death rate is down by 56% and the Pakeha ethnic rate is down by about 80%. There have been no reported cot deaths on wrapped mattresses - regardless of whether babies have had Long QT".

Dr Sprott noted that the Long QT theory has emanated from Italy. "As far as I know, inter-ethnic cot death research is not carried out in Italy,"
he
said. "In countries where inter-ethnic research is conducted (e.g.
New
Zealand, Australia and Canada), it is immediately apparent from the huge differences between cot death rates of different ethnic groups within the same country that medical abnormality such as Long QT is not the cause of cot death."

In New Zealand the Maori cot death rate is around 10 times the Pakeha* rate.

"The high Maori cot death rate relative to the Pakeha rate is very regrettable, but it's no surprise," said Dr Sprott. "It is well known that Pakeha parents have enthusiastically adopted mattress-wrapping for cot death prevention, whereas mattress-wrapping is far less common among the Maori community."

Following the implementation of the New Zealand mattress-wrapping campaign in late 1994, the Pakeha ethnic group now has one of the lowest cot death rates in the world: 0.3 deaths per 1000 live births.

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* Note for overseas readers: "Pakeha" means non-Maori non-Pacific Island.
The Pakeha ethnic group comprises 80% of the New Zealand population, and 91% of this group are of European descent.