Seattle Children’s doctor needs $100K in fight against SIDS

A doctor at Seattle Children’s hospital says he’s close to solving the mystery of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – the cause of about 4,000 infant deaths in the U.S. every year.

Dr. Daniel Rubens, a pediatric anesthesiologist, told KIRO Radio’s Ron and Don Show his research team has found something, but they need the funding to take it to the next level.

Listen: Dr. Daniel Rubens explains his research

“The state of Rhode Island did a study in 2007 at my request. The babies who died of SIDS – they went back and pulled their newborn hearing screening tests. They found the babies in SIDS cases had a suppressed right sided hearing difference compared to babies that didn’t die of SIDS and other babies that died of other causes.”

Rubens said his team is focused on finding a way to detect babies at risk when they’re born, but the hearing test finding is only at the research stage.

“It’s the only founding that I know of something from when these babies are alive,” Rubens said.

How to donate to the SIDS Research Guild

Rubens said they have the infrastructure, hearing experts, and pediatricians to do an extensive study in England, but they need about $100,000 to make it happen.

The Ron and Don Show is calling on all of its listeners to help Dr. Rubens raise that money.