Georgia Sarquella Brugada

A case-control study published in JAMA Pediatrics reports a relationship between certain aberrant metabolic biomarkers at birth and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Although the research is preliminary and no screening test for this syndrome is yet available, the researchers believe their study is an important step toward integrating metabolic and genetic markers to identify infants at higher risk of sudden death.

On 5 April, the UK National IHR Focal Point informed WHO of an increase in severe myocarditis in neonates associated with enterovirus infection in Wales (UK). Between June 2022 and April 2023, ten hospitalised neonates with a positive PCR for enterovirus were found to have myocarditis. Seven of the ten cases were confirmed to have coxsackievirus B3 or coxsackievirus B4. As of 5 May 2023, one patient remained hospitalised and one patient had died. According to the WHO statement, although enterovirus infections are common in neonates and infants, the reported increase in myocarditis - inflammation of heart muscle tissue - with severe outcome associated with enterovirus infection is unusual.