Problems during pregnancy could be an indicator a baby will be at a higher risk of cot death, scientists suggest.

A study in Scotland showed mothers who had placenta defects were up to three times more likely to have a baby who went on to suffer cot death. The research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that cot death is still the most common cause of death in infants in developed countries.

In this latest research, experts looked at the records of 214,000 women who gave birth in Scotland 1991 and 2001, of whom 114 suffered cot deaths. All women underwent the standard tests during their pregnancies, including a check of levels of AFP, - Alpha Feto Protein - which is found in pregnant women's blood.

AFP levels are already checked during the second trimester of pregnancy as an indicator of the risk that a baby will be born with congenital defects such as spina bifida or Down's syndrome. Higher AFP levels can also indicate placental abnormalities.

It was found that those women who had higher AFP levels had a greater risk of having a baby who died from cot death.

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