Sir.—Sudden infant death Syndrome (SIDS) is a major cause of infant mortality. A variety of viruses have been associated with SIDS, including respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, rotavirus, and enterovirus.1-3 We would like to describe an infant with near-miss SIDS occurring within 24 hours of oral poliovirus vaccination. A vaccinelike strain of poliovirus type 2 was isolated from the child's cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Patient Report.—On the morning of admission, at 7 am, a 6-week-old female infant was found to be cold and not breathing. She was given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and she resumed gasping respiration. At a local hospital's emergency room, she was noted to be hypothermic and unresponsive, with nonreactive pupils and gasping respiration. The infant was warmed to normothermia, with gradual return of pupil reactivity and motor activity. The CSF was clear, with no red or white blood cells. The CSF protein level was 52 mg/dL