Nicotine may impair a molecule that’s necessary for arousing people and other animals from sleep, a study of mice finds. The effect could account for the heightened risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in babies born to women who smoked during pregnancy. This well-established link has never been fully explained.
SIDS, also called crib death or cot death, occurs when babies suffocate accidentally or stop breathing in an event called sleep apnea.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.