BIOMINRISK: : Biomarker-Based Risk Stratification of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy

Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) is defined as the death of an infant under 2 years of age that occurs suddenly and without an obvious cause. In France, SUDI is the leading cause of post-neonatal infant mortality with about 300 deaths per year, one of the highest incidences in Europe.

Each death is likely the result of the interaction of several factors that vary from situation to situation, making it very difficult to identify a single cause. Although external risk factors (sleep environment, exposure to tobacco/drugs during pregnancy) and internal vulnerability (genetic, anatomical, biological) have been identified, 50 to 70% of SUDI cases remain unexplained, leaving bereaved families without answers and hindering the development of prevention strategies.

The ambition of the research project coordinated by Fleur Lorton is to identify novel biomarkers involved in the pathophysiology of SUDI to enhance understanding and improve prevention strategies.

Through a multidisciplinary, collaborative and innovative approach, the teams will investigate the infant’s intrinsic vulnerability factors across three axes: genetic, neurobiological, and radio-anatomical.  To achieve this, data and samples from 250 children who died of SUDI and 500 controls will be analyzed. The identified biomarkers will then be integrated into a risk stratification algorithm in order to offer personalized prevention for SUDI in the general population.

In the long term, BIOMINRISK aims to reduce the number of preventable deaths related to SUDI in France, and in other countries, through personalized prevention strategies based on newly identified biomarkers.

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-101811