Call for national standards in cot death probes

THE National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) register has called for national protocols to be put in place for the investigation of sudden infant deaths.

The organisation is calling for the standardisation of postmortem procedures, a review of the clinical history of the baby and a thorough death scene investigation.

According to researchers with the SIDS register, the failure to properly classify these deaths is creating misleading statistics which limit scientists’ abilities to identify the risk factors and causes of such deaths. They also say there is evidence that some sudden infant deaths have a definable cause that could be revealed by careful investigation of the death scene.

“There is now an urgent need to establish a multi-disciplinary team approach for the handling of all sudden infant deaths and this approach should be implemented nationwide,” said SIDS register researcher, Karina Hamilton.

Referring to the recent death of a baby at a creche in east Cork, Ms Hamilton said it was “a great tragedy”.

“The causes of SIDS are not known. SIDS cannot be prevented, the guidelines only reduce the risk. Every year a proportion of the infants who die from SIDS are not associated with any of the known risk factors. SIDS causes people to feel responsible for the death and to needlessly blame themselves and others. It is quite likely that the creche was following all of the guidelines correctly and the child just died,” she said.

There is absolutely no suggestion that there was any wrongdoing at the east Cork creche, which is understood to have a good reputation. The cause of SIDS death is normally unexplained. As per procedure, a full inquest will take place at the Coroners Court in the coming months.

A leading legal expert on childcare has said parents would feel greater assurance, however, if the Heath Service Executive (HSE) carried out follow-up visits after suspected cot deaths at a creche. Geoffrey Shannon said that at present, such a move would be outside childcare regulations.

According to the National Creche and Nurseries Association (NCNA) at least one or two babies die of suspected cot deaths every year in creches.

Mr Shannon’s comments follow a statement by the HSE in which it said it would not be making a follow-up visit to the east Cork creche where an 18-month-old boy died in a suspected cot death.

The HSE said it would instead await the results of the Coroner’s Court and that such an investigation would be outside its powers as set down by the 2007 childcare regulations.

“We cannot make any assumptions as regards the event or incident in a pre-school in east Cork last week until such time as a cause of death is established through the inquest. The HSE will make a determination regarding the appropriateness of ‘launching its own investigation’ in accordance with the outcomes of the inquest,” the spokesman said.