Regional Infant and Child Mortality Review Committee 2013 final report

The Regional Infant and Child Review Committee serves 10 counties in southeastern South Dakota and its mission is to review of deaths of infants and children under the age of 18 so that information can be transformed into action to protect young lives. In 2013, the committee's interdisciplinary team reviewed 32 deaths that met its criteria. The manner of 13 of these deaths was natural, nine accidental, one homicide, five suicide, and four undetermined. There were five infant deaths during sleep and each of these occurred in an unsafe sleep environment. The number of suicides in 2013 was considerably higher than the typical one death by suicide that previously has been observed per year in the area. The report provides the Committee's recommendations for community action that could prevent future deaths of infants and children.