London Many cot deaths may be caused by common infections, the largest study of post-mortem examination data has suggested.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London have found that in about half the cases of sudden infant death syndrome (Sids) where no cause of death could be found, samples taken from the babies contained bacteria that might have caused their deaths. The bacteria detected most often were E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. This suggests that some of the deaths may be the result of infections that were not considered as causes at the time the babies died.

Neil Sebire, a paediatric pathologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, and colleagues said in The Lancet: “We must now investigate the pathophysiological mechanism involved in these cases.”

Every year about 250 infants die from Sids. The best way to reduce the risk is to ensure that babies sleep on their backs and that their parents do not smoke, the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths recommends.

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