NCJ Number
73645
Journal
Bramshill Jounal Volume: I Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1980) Pages: 25-31
Date Published
1980
Length
9 pages
Annotation
The Sudden Infant Syndrome (SIDS), police and coroner investigations of SIDS deaths in Great Britain, and the criticisms of Police investigations are discussed in this journal article.
Abstract
SIDS involves the sudden and unexpected death of an infant for which a through postmortem exmanination fails to demonstrate an explicit cause of death. The syndrome usually occurs in infants between 2 weeks and 2 years of age; in the cold, wet months of the year; more often among the lower socioeconomic groups; and more often among infants who are not breast fed. The Coroners Acts of 1887 and 1954 and the Coroners Rules of 1953 require coroners to inquire into all cases of sudden, violent, or unnatural death. In those cases where an autopsy indicates that an infant's death was natural, although without a scientific basis, coroners must issue certificates giving SIDS as the cause of death. Most police departments have assigned an officer to act in all cases affecting the coroner's office. The investigations of these officers have often been criticized. Most officers give special attention to cases involving battered babies and little to SIDS cases. In SIDS cases where officers suspect murder, parents are often interrogated at police stations -- a procedure which many parents resent. Parents of SIDS vactims also often complain of visits of uniformed officers to their homes. These parents are concerned that neighbors may conclude that the parents committed a crime. Recommendations include the education of the public in the nature of SIDS to eradicate from the public mind any implications of parental guilt, the inclusion of SIDS course material in police training, the explanation of the coroner's role to bereaved parents so that they might understand the legal requirements, and the establishment of a referral procedure for parents so that they may discuss their infant's death with an informed person. A discussion of possible causes of SIDS and appendixes containing 13 references, graphs, and information for parents of SIDS victims are included.