Sudden Unexpected Infant Death
How do babies who have died of SIDS appear? Among the varied physical characteristics exhibited by babies who have died of SIDS, officers can expect to see:
- No external signs of injury or abuse
- A bloody, frothy mucus around the mouth and nose
- Post mortem lividity and pooling of blood
- Bruise-like discolorations on parts of the body that have contact with surfaces – NOTE: this can happen rapidly in tiny infants and can be mistaken for bruising.
- Depending on time of death, skin color can be pink, reddish, brown, or purple.
- In infants of color, lividity can be black.
