Vertebral artery insufficiency as a possible mechanism for sudden infant death--in vivo evidence does not support findings from postmortem studies.

Recent postmortem studies have suggested that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) might involve an underlying, gradual brain stem injury caused by repeated episodes of transiently compromised brain stem circulation. Autopsy studies have also reported that vertebral artery occlusion due to head rotations, such as occurs, e.g.