Sudden Unexpected Infant Death
What is the best way to interact with parents in SIDS cases? First and foremost, officers should treat parents with compassion and empathy. They should use the baby’s name often during questioning and the roles of each First Responder at the death scene should be explained. Because post-mortem physical changes can happen very quickly, it is critical that police be familiar with them and be able to explain what is happening to parents. It is very important that the infant’s body be treated with dignity and respect. Officers may want to contact a friend or family member to come and stay with the parents.
Are there indicators that a death was not caused by SIDS? If the medical history of a deceased infant includes several episodes of apnea (pauses or cessation of breathing) and/or recurrent cyanosis (a bluish purple discoloration of the skin) that have been witnessed by only one caregiver – and a distinct medical condition is not responsible for these episodes – then intentional asphyxiation should be suspected. Cases in with twins die simultaneously warrant closer examination by investigators, as do families with previous unexplained infant deaths. However, during autopsy, there is no definitive way to know if death was SIDS or suffocation. This is why the death scene investigation is absolutely critical in determining cause and manner of death.
