Vitamin C and crib death risk:
By Jim Sprott

 

1.    Australian research has shown that a diet which is very high in vitamin C reduces crib death risk.

 

2.    The reason for the reduced risk is as follows:

 

When the toxic gases which cause crib death (phosphines, arsines and stibines) are inhaled, they pass into the bloodstream and are converted into the corresponding ionic form of the gases.  In the case of phosphine, for example, the phosphine molecule converts to the phosphonium ion.  All of these ions are alkaline in reaction.  If the baby has a high proportion of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in his/her bloodstream, this will tend to make the blood slightly more acidic and absorb the alkaline ion in the form of the corresponding ascorbate salt.  The ascorbate salt de-activates the toxic gas.

 

3.    Ingesting large quantities of vitamin C does not eliminate crib death risk - it reduces the risk.