For years, the tragedy of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has baffled the medical community. Now, a new book offers compelling theories that connect many unexplained infant deaths to brain stem malfunction caused by vertebral subluxation, or spinal misalignment.

SIDS claims the lives of approximately 3,000 infants in the United States each year. Today, more children die of SIDS in one year than all children who die of cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy combined.

"The Best-Kept Secret to Raising a Healthy Child...and The Possible Prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)" is based on 10 years of research and more than 100 medical research papers that suggest a brain stem-spinal connection.

The authors, Drs. Craig Wehrenberg and Tracey Mulhall, recommend that all newborns have their upper cervical spine examined to ensure proper alignment of the vertebrae. With proper alignment, the overall health of infants and children improves, the authors state.

"I was initially motivated to research SIDS because I lost a brother to it some thirty years ago," Wehrenberg stated. "I've always wondered what kind of person my younger brother Jeffrey would have become, had he survived."

The authors began their research in 1990 while in graduate school.

"It has been gratifying to see evidence for our hypothesis grow as medical researchers uncover the intricacies of the way health prevails or is hampered by spinal misalignments and brain stem malfunction," Wehrenberg noted.

"With the heightened interest in alternative health practices in the past several years," he continued, "it seemed that the public was ready to consider our recommendations, and we hope to perform a public service that will save infants' lives by making our theories available to a large audience."

The book explains that:

The authors suggest that chiropractors should examine and correct the spines of infants to increase their health potential and decrease their risk of SIDS.

Wehrenberg and Mulhall will donate a portion of the proceeds from the book to the non-profit organization they recently established to pursue SIDS-related research and education: StopSIDS. Found on the Internet at www.stopsids.org, the organization is a "health hub" for research, fundraising, and communication about SIDS and its prevention.

The book will be sold for $14.95 (plus $4.00 S&H). To purchase a copy at the special "pre-publication price" of $9.95 (plus $4.00 S&H), please place your order by calling (toll free), 888/521-9499 by July 31, 2000. Publication is scheduled for August 2000.