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PEDIATRICS Vol. 107 No. 2 February 2001, pp. 437-441

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS:
Distinguishing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome From Child Abuse Fatalities

In most cases, when a healthy infant younger than 1 year dies suddenly and unexpectedly, the cause is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is more common than infanticide. Parents of SIDS victims typically are anxious to provide unlimited information to professionals involved in death investigation or research. They also want and deserve to be approached in a nonaccusatory manner. This statement provides professionals with information and guidelines to avoid distressing or stigmatizing families of SIDS victims while allowing accumulation of appropriate evidence in potential cases of death by infanticide.

The following policy statement is a revision:

Distinguishing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome From Child Abuse Fatalities

American Academy of Pediatrics, Kent P. Hymel, and the Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect, and National Association of Medical Examiners
Pediatrics 2006 118: 421-427. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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