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To the Editor.—Dr. McInerny's comment is extremely pertinent and may be helpful if sudden unexpected death is provoked by nasal obstruction in the small infant. I have always opposed the use of nose drops, especially in small infants, but I had overlooked the possibility that the application of nose drops at bedtime, which happens so frequently, might cause obstruction due to rebound several hours later. Mothers often use nose drops without being told to do so by the physician; in the records we consulted there was no comment that they were recommended—as a matter of fact, very few of these infants were seen by a physician during the few hours before death.
This comment furthermore relieves me of some concern that someone might propose the use of nose drops in the prevention of unexpected death. Dr. McInerny's comment is extremely helpful in showing that the reverse might be