Effect of naloxone on ventilatory control in parents of victims of sudden infant death syndrome

To determine whether the decreased responses to CO₂, hypoxia, and flow resistive loads in parents of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) victims are due to an effect of endogenous opioids, we tested response to these stimuli in 10 parents (5 couples) of such children after injection of saline placebo and after injection of naloxone hydrochloride (3 mg). The responses after saline were comparable to those of our previous study, i.e., lower than normal. Ventilatory response to CO₂ and hypoxia, as well as airway occlusion pressure responses to flow resistive loading, were not significantly different after naloxone compared with saline. We concluded that increased endogenous opioids do not play a significant role in these subjects' reduced ventilatory drive.