Most repeat cot deaths 'natural'

[Guest guest]

Depends on the definition of *natural*. And I'd love to know the age of

the babies who died and their vax schedule...!

____________________________________

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4132643.stm

Most repeat cot deaths 'natural'

The overwhelming majority of repeat cot deaths are from natural causes, a

study says.

Researchers found eight in 10 sudden infant deaths in families who had

already had a baby die unexpectedly were not suspicious.

The joint University of Sheffield and London School of Hygiene and Tropical

Medicine team studied 6,373 babies.

Some 46 children died unexpectedly - 40 from natural causes and six from

probable homicide, the report said.

Researchers said the findings, published in The Lancet medical journal,

challenged suggestions that two or three unexpected deaths in the same

family were more likely to be unnatural.

Report co-author Professor Carpenter said: " Although child abuse is

not uncommon, from the best available data, we believe that the occurrence

of a second or third sudden unexpected death in infancy within a family,

although relatively rare, is in most cases from natural causes. "

Sudden infant deaths have fallen dramatically over the last 20 years from

1,700 a year in the mid 1980s to 175 in 2003.

Joyce Epstein, director of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths,

which funded the Care of the Next Infant programme on which the study was

based, said it was an important piece of work.

" The study found that a second death is much more likely to be due to

natural than unnatural causes.

'Preconceived notions'

" It shows that any form of automatic suspicion such as the so-called

Meadow's Law is unjustified.

" This unique research shows how important it is to examine each infant death

thoroughly and fairly and not leap to conclusions based on preconceived

notions. "

Meadow's Law refers to an observation in a book by the now-discredited

paediatrician Professor Roy Meadow which stated: " One sudden infant death is

a tragedy, two is suspicious and three is murder, unless proven otherwise. "

Professor Meadow gave evidence in the case of Cannings who was

cleared on appeal a year ago of murdering her two baby sons.

Her case prompted the Attorney General to set up a review of sudden infant

death convictions.

He has subsequently ordered the cases of 28 parents convicted of killing

their children to be investigated further.