KCNJ16 and sudden infant death syndrome: 30 In addition, Kir5.1 appears to be essential for the acute and chronic regulation of arterial pH through its key function of renal H+ absorption / + secretion and is thus an important determinant of the ventilatory CO2 chemoreflex.54 We found in two SIDS cases potentially pathogenic exonic SNPs in KCNJ16 (R137S and A188S), which may interfere with central CO2 sensitivity and thereby have contributed to the cause of death.