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Unexpected Death
"...a monumental impact..."
Sudden unexpected death is the abrupt unimaginable cessation of life, and has a monumental impact on the family and community. The grief process following the precipitous loss of an infant or child has facets not necessarily associated with an anticipated loss, such as:
- Shock of discovery
- Dealings with emergency responders
- Inquiry by investigators and law enforcement
- Exposure to the Office of the Medical Examinerıs autopsy process
- Uncertainty of family and friends
- Lengthy waiting period for final diagnosis
- Possibility of no answers
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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant remaining unexplained after an autopsy, death scene investigation, and medical history review. SIDS continues to be the leading cause of infant death, claiming the lives of approximately 3000 infants a year. Although a SIDS diagnosis reassures the family and community that the death was not preventable, it does not provide an explanation or reason. It is felt by some that there are multiple causes of SIDS, and as the body of research expands it seems likely that there will be more than one explanation.
However, even though SIDS is not preventable, there are things families can do to decrease the chance of SIDS. The federal Back to Sleep/Safe Bedding Campaign was initiated in Maryland in 1996, which sought to inform pregnant women and newly delivered mothers the safest way to care for their infant. And it has made a difference. Since the initiation of the campaign in 1994, there has been a national decrease in SIDS by 50%, with Maryland experiencing similar results.
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Family Service