Exams and Tests

SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that other causes of death must be ruled out. The cause of an infant's death can be determined only through a process of collecting information and conducting sometimes-complex forensic tests and procedures. All other recognizable causes of death are investigated prior to making the diagnosis of SIDS.

Four major avenues of investigation aid in the determination of a SIDS death: postmortem lab tests, autopsy, death-scene investigation, and the review of victim and family case history.

• Postmortem laboratory tests are done to rule out other causes of death (for example, electrolytes are checked to rule out dehydration and electrolyte imbalance; cultures are obtained to evaluate whether an infection was present). In SIDS, these laboratory tests are generally unrevealing.
  
  
• An autopsy provides clues as to the cause of death. The autopsy findings in SIDS victims are very subtle and yield only supportive, rather than conclusive, findings to explain SIDS.
  
  
• A thorough investigation of the death scene consists of interviewing the parents, other caregivers, and family members, collecting items from the death scene, and evaluating that information. A detailed scene investigation may reveal a recognizable and possibly preventable cause of death.
  
  
  • A parent or caregiver is asked these questions:
    
    
    • Where was the baby discovered?
      
      
    • What position was the baby in?
      
      
    • When was the baby last checked? Last fed?
      
      
    • How was the baby sleeping?
      
      
    • Where there any recent signs of illness?
      
      
    • Was the infant taking any medication - either prescription or over-the-counter?
  
  
• You should let your doctor know about any family or infant medical history. Family history to note would include any previous history of unexplained infant death, sudden cardiac death, or metabolic or genetic disorders, for example.