>
>The research was done before a decline in cot death in the early 1990s
>when parents were advised to put their babies to sleep on the backs.
>Researchers said that the caffeine crossed the placental barrier which
>protects babies in the womb. Caffeine withdr al at birth could induce a
>condition where breathing stops temporarily. Other withdrawal symptoms
>could include irritability, jitters and vomiting.

Could this be one of the mechanisms whereby breastfeeding protects infants
against SIDS???  I.e., that they don't suffer caffeine withdrawal because
they are still getting it through the breast milk????  What a wild thought.

Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nutrition
Texas A&M University