This past weekend on TalkLeft, TChris wrote about a British court ruling that suspicion is not proof of murder in SIDS cases. The dubious theory debunked by the Court in Britain is known as "Meadow's Law."

One sudden infant death is a tragedy, two is suspicious and three is a murder, unless proven otherwise.

Commenters to TChris's post were quick to condemn the court decision. But, this article in today's New York Times has some support for the decision.

The article concerns Brugada Syndrome, which is a genetic defect that causes a lightening bolt heart attack in structurally normal hearts. According to The Times, Brugada Syndrome "is now believed to be responsible for as many as 12 percent of all sudden deaths and roughly 20 percent of deaths in patients with structurally normal hearts." The Times also reports that one scientist estimates that "one American in 5,000 might be at risk for sudden death from the disease."

What's the link to infant death? Well, again according to The Times:

Although the disease usually strikes in early middle age, cases have been reported in babies only a few days old.

Apparently, Brugada Syndrome can be diagnosed -- via a determination that there is a mutation at the SCN5a gene. According to The Times,

SCN5a mutations have now been found in other sudden-death syndromes, including sudden infant death, or SIDS.