Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a diagnosis of exclusion which should be made only after a thorough autopsy without identification of a specific cause of death (Mage and Donner, 2004). Weese-Mayer et al. (2007) provided a detailed review of genetic factors that have been implicated in SIDS. The authors concluded that SIDS represents more than 1 entity and has a heterogeneous etiology most likely involving several different genetically controlled metabolic pathways.

Pallister-Killian syndrome (PKS) is a dysmorphic condition involving most organ systems, but is also characterized by a tissue-limited mosaicism; most fibroblasts have 47 chromosomes with an extra small metacentric chromosome, whereas the karyotype of lymphocytes is normal. The extra metacentric chromosome is an isochromosome for part of the short arm of chromosome 12: i(12)(p10) (Peltomaki et al., 1987; Warburton et al., 1987).

2-Methylbutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder of impaired isoleucine degradation. It is most often ascertained via newborn screening and is usually clinically asymptomatic, although some patients have been reported to have delayed development and neurologic signs. Therefore, the clinical relevance of the deficiency is unclear (Sass et al., 2008).

In a report on the 37th ENMC Workshop, Rudel and Lehmann-Horn (1997) stated that the sodium channelopathies can be divided into 3 different forms: paramyotonia, potassium-aggravated myotonia, and periodic paralysis. Potassium-aggravated myotonia includes mild myotonia fluctuans, severe myotonia permanens, and acetazolamide-responsive myotonia.

Congenital myopathy-11 (CMYO11) is an autosomal recessive skeletal muscle disorder characterized clinically by severe hypotonia apparent at birth, resulting in early feeding problems, motor delay, and walking difficulties. However, the course of the disease is nonprogressive: most affected individuals achieve independent ambulation and tend to show improvement of muscle weakness throughout childhood and early adulthood. There is no respiratory or cardiac involvement; cognitive development is normal. Muscle biopsy may show rare centralized nuclei, type 1 fiber hypotrophy, and type 1 fiber predominance, suggestive of a pathologic diagnosis of congenital fiber-type disproportion (CFTD). However, the findings on skeletal muscle biopsy may be nonspecific (Muhammad et al., 2013). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of congenital myopathy, see CMYO1A (117000).

COACH syndrome is classically defined as Cerebellar vermis hypoplasia, Oligophrenia, Ataxia, Colobomas, and Hepatic fibrosis (Verloes and Lambotte, 1989). Brain MRI demonstrates the molar tooth sign, which is a feature of Joubert syndrome. The disorder has been described as a Joubert syndrome-related disorder with liver disease (summary by Doherty et al., 2010). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of COACH syndrome, see 216360.

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy-90 (DEE90) is an X-linked neurologic disorder characterized by onset of refractory seizures in the first days or months of life. Although most patients have focal seizures associated with oromotor automatisms and apnea, various seizure types may occur, including epileptic spasms, generalized tonic-clonic, and absence. EEG shows multifocal discharges; hypsarrhythmia, intermittent burst suppression, and slow spike-wave background resembling Lennox-Gastaut syndrome may also be observed. Affected individuals have global developmental delay with variable severity, but it is usually profound or severe. Some are unable to walk or speak, whereas others may achieve some milestones and show autistic features (summary by Fry et al., 2021). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of DEE, see 308350.