Infection, Celestial Influences, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A New Paradigm

Paul N Goldwater; Edward O Oberg

doi:10.7759/cureus.17449

Infection, Celestial Influences, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A New Paradigm

Cureus. 2021 Aug 26;13(8):e17449. doi: 10.7759/cureus.17449. eCollection 2021 Aug.

Authors

Paul N Goldwater¹, Edward O Oberg²

Affiliations

¹ Pathology-Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, AUS.
² Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, USA.

Abstract

The etiology of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) still remains unclear. This situation would seem unprecedented for 21st-century medical science. This article explores scientific fields that have not been largely considered in investigating the etiology of SIDS so far. In this study, we examined previously ignored studies on heliobiology, celestial influences, and SIDS in the non-medical literature in an attempt to answer the following questions: is there a relationship between sunspot/solar activity and the occurrence of SIDS? Could there be alternative reasons for the decline in SIDS incidences in the 1990s that were originally attributed to the "Back-to-Sleep" campaign? We note that the decline coincided with the ~11-year cyclical diminution in sunspot numbers (SSNs). The SSN/SIDS relationship does not necessarily imply causality; however, it supports published data regarding sunspots, Schumann resonance, and geomagnetic effects. How solar energy could adversely influence a baby's existence remains conjectural. Observations in this respect suggest pathways involving melatonin and/or infection/inflammation.

Keywords: celestial; heliobiology; infection; sids; sudden infant death syndrome.

Publication types

Review