History:

The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Program provides mandated follow-up and support services by public health nurses and social workers of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health include but are not limited to information about SIDS, community resources for coping with infant loss for the entire family (both adults and children), and burial support.

Health Problems:

• SIDS is one of the leading causes of infant death

• African-American SIDS rates are 2.5 times higher than the rest of the population

Goal:

To enhance the health of Los Angeles County infants and their mothers

Objectives:

• Reduce the number of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) deaths

• Assure PHN contact with families to provide grief counseling & referral and to advise family of final diagnosis

Activities/Services:

• Receipt of Presumptive SIDS cases from coroner’s office and referral to district PHN

• Outreach campaign to educate parents on how to reduce the risk of SIDS (e.g. sleep on back, avoid tobacco smoke, avoid overheated bedrooms)

• Trainings for SIDS families so that they can help other SIDS families deal with grief

• Trainings for hospital staff, public health nurses, emergency responders, coroners, and the general public on SIDS facts and dealing with the emotional impact

• Information to the public on the latest research concerning SIDS and its potential causes

• It maintains epidemiological data of Los Angeles County SIDS and other sudden, unexpected infant deaths.

Eligibility

• Presumptive SIDS cases received from Coroner office

Target Population

All families with presumptive SIDS referrals from Coroner in LAC

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Training for Public Health Professionals California SIDS Program, April 18, 2013 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Overview of Current Theories and Research (Power Point Presentation)