Nursing/Medical Division - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

The Ohio Revised Code requires that on the occurrence of any of the following, the health district or department with jurisdiction in the area in which the child's parent resides shall offer the parent any counseling or other supportive services it has available:

• When it learns through any source that an autopsy is being performed on a child under two years of age who died suddenly when in apparent good health
• When it receives notice that the final result of an autopsy performed pursuant to this section concluded that the child died of sudden infant death syndrome
• When it is notified by the coroner that, pursuant to division (C) of this section, an autopsy was not performed.

A Public Health Nurse will contact the family of a child under the age of two years to offer information, support and referrals to area support agencies. Sometimes, the family will agree to a home visit by the Public Health Nurse and other times, the family wishes to receive this information by mail or over the telephone.

Additionally, the family may receive information from the SID Network of Ohio whose mission is to work towards the reduction and eventual elimination of SIDS through a multidisciplinary approach of promoting infant health and wellness, community outreach, education, and medical research. The SID Network is dedicated to providing supportive services to those who have been affected by the loss of a child, age 2 and under, from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or Other Infant Death (OID).

To contact the SID Network of Ohio, call 1-800-477-7437 or e-mail: SIDNetwork@sidsohio.org

Information from the Ohio Department of Health and the National MCH Center for Child Death Review.