Sudden infant death syndrome: histological studies on adrenal gland and kidney.

Histological observations were made on the adrenal glands and kidneys in ten cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The amount of fetal cortex was excessive in the adrenal glands and many glomeruli of fetal form were observed in the kidneys. These findings suggest that the adrenal glands and the kidneys in SIDS cases are more or less immature in development. The immature development in these organs, especially in the adrenal glands, was considered to play a role in the cardiac or respiratory mechanisms in SIDS.