Hemoglobin Change​—Cause or Symptom?

This development was reported in The New England Journal of Medicine of April 30, 1987. It stated: “Prolonged elevation in the levels of fetal hemoglobin (hemoglobin F) in infants with SIDS could denote a compromised delivery of oxygen to sensitive tissue sites.”a The report indicated that after the birth of a baby, there is normal replacement of fetal hemoglobin with hemoglobin A produced by the baby’s body​—thus its own oxygen-carrying hemoglobin. In the victims of SIDS, a significant number of the victims still had a higher proportion of less effective fetal hemoglobin than was normal. So, what conclusion did the doctors draw?

“Our interpretation of this finding is that infants with SIDS are characterized by a marked delay in the switch from hemoglobin F to hemoglobin A​—a phenomenon that may reflect an underlying chronic condition.” Why does this happen? “The reason for the abnormal persistence of hemoglobin F is uncertain.”