Sudden infant death syndrome. The disease and its survivors

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a peculiar entity in that the self-condemning reactions of the surviving family go far beyond the death itself. The parents should be helped to understand that SIDS is a disease, even though the mechanism of death is not known, and that it is neither preventable nor predictable. Surviving siblings should not be excluded from the mourning process and should be reassured about their good health and blamelessness in causing the death. If parents defer having another child until the grief process is complete, the psychologic environment for subsequent children will be healthier.