Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Suddenness of a loss is particularly stressful to survivors and may lead to long-lasting family crisis. The suddenness of the death of an apparently well infant leaves the family with no opportunity to gradually accept the loss (Guntheroth 1995). Studies have shown that grief in SIDS decreases over time, but a considerable number of parents are still actively dealing with the loss throughout the first year. Men and women grieve differently, and the loss can have an effect on the marriage; some are strengthened, and some end in divorce. Other family members and siblings are affected by the loss. According to SIDS parents, their lives are never the same, and this may be reflected through changes in educational or vocational paths. Many have gotten involved in local, national, or international SIDS organizations in an effort to bring support to recently bereaved families and to promote education and awareness of SIDS to the general public. When a loss such as SIDS occurs, the bereaved frequently search for meaning in the event and for the cause. And in pursuit of the cause, self-accusation is frequent. Although research results can, for some, increase this feeling of guilt, most enthusiastically support research through personal donations or fundraising efforts. It is a way to keep the memory alive and to help find an answer to the SIDS enigma (Byard 2001).