SUDI: A modern approach

Abstract

Infants are a vulnerable group due to their reliance on caregivers to provide them with the necessities of life. This vulnerability is further complicated by their inability to communicate, their immature homeostatic mechanisms and their propensity to deteriorate suddenly in the face of illness. These factors make it extremely important for unexpected infant deaths to receive a high level of investigation in order to recognise unnatural deaths, and to attribute a cause of death in as many cases as possible.Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) is a term that refers to all sudden and unexpected deaths in infants. The minimum level of investigation required in these deaths is made up of three components: scene investigation, review of the clinical history and post-mortem examination. Adequate investigation is also required for the death to be attributed to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in some cases where a recognisable cause of death cannot be identified.There is currently no universal standard protocol for the investigation of SUDI. This talk will briefly summarise current approaches to investigation and outline a range of emerging techniques that are making their way into daily practice. Infants are a vulnerable group due to their reliance on caregivers to provide them with the necessities of life. This vulnerability is further complicated by their inability to communicate, their immature homeostatic mechanisms and their propensity to deteriorate suddenly in the face of illness. These factors make it extremely important for unexpected infant deaths to receive a high level of investigation in order to recognise unnatural deaths, and to attribute a cause of death in as many cases as possible. Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) is a term that refers to all sudden and unexpected deaths in infants. The minimum level of investigation required in these deaths is made up of three components: scene investigation, review of the clinical history and post-mortem examination. Adequate investigation is also required for the death to be attributed to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in some cases where a recognisable cause of death cannot be identified. There is currently no universal standard protocol for the investigation of SUDI. This talk will briefly summarise current approaches to investigation and outline a range of emerging techniques that are making their way into daily practice.