[Cardiac changes in sudden infant death syndrome].

Objective: To establish the pathomorphological features of the structure and morphogenesis of the myocardium, fetal cardiac communications in neonatal infants and babies in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Subjects And Methods: One hundred and three babies less than 1 year of age who had died from SIDS at home in 2004-2012 were examined using macroscopic examination of their hearts, by separately weighing their cavities on an electron balance; histological examination of specimens stained with hematoxylin and eosin, as well as with picrofuxin by the van Gieson or Nissl technique; immunohistochemical examination applying neurofilament markers; alkaline cardiomyocyte dissociation test; morphometric study of cardiac chambers, by calculating the ventricular index, measuring the area of a nucleus and cytoplasm of isolated cardiomyocytes by means of a Video-Test-Morpho computer unit; and statistical data processing.

Results: There was a height/heart growth imbalance manifesting as a forward cardiac mass increment, as well as discoordination of an increase in right and left ventricular masses.