http://www.charlotte.com/observer/natwor/docs/sids0905.htm

Published Wednesday, September 5, 2001

After complaints

Sudden infant death policy change urged

Pediatricians scale back call for child abuse expert in ER

By LINDSEY TANNER

Associated Press

CHICAGO -- The nation's largest group of pediatricians has revised its policy on distinguishing sudden infant death syndrome from murder after getting complaints from medical examiners and parents.

The American Academy of Pediatrics said in February all sudden, unexplained infant deaths should be investigated in hospital emergency rooms by a child abuse expert, out of concern a small portion of SIDS deaths might be homicides.

The revision, published in the September issue of the journal Pediatrics, says investigations of sudden, unexplained infant deaths should include "appropriate utilization of available medical specialists by medical examiners and coroners." Such specialists could include pediatric pathologists, pediatricians and radiologists, the academy says.

The National Association of Medical Examiners had complained the initial policy could result in illegal meddling with autopsies if outside experts examined bodies before they did.

The policy angered some parents of SIDS babies, who worried it made them appear guilty.

"It was like they were saying, who cares what the medical examiner said; you abused your child," said Charlene Melcher, 38, of Orlando, Fla., whose son died of SIDS in 1998.

The amended policy "provides pediatricians with information and guidelines to avoid distressing or stigmatizing families of sudden infant death syndrome victims while allowing accumulation of appropriate evidence in potential cases of death by infanticide," the academy said.

Dr. Randy Hanzlick, president of the medical examiners group, praised the revision and said medical examiners welcome working with outside experts to investigate unexplained infant deaths.

Experts do not know what causes SIDS, which kills about 3,000 infants a year, though theories include brain stem defects and heat stress.

The policy published in February stemmed from a few highly publicized cases and a 1997 report from British researchers who documented an alarming number of parents trying to suffocate their babies.

On the web

www.aap.org

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