Medical Experts Publish Guidelines on SUDC
by Douglas Ankney
Sudden unexplained death in childhood (“SUDC”) ranks fifth in the categories of death in children ages one to four, and every year, it affects approximately 400 children ages one to 18.
Unlike Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (“SIDS”), SUDC is the listed cause of death when a child age 12 months or older dies and the death cannot be explained after investigation and autopsy. And, unlike SIDS, SUDC is not usually part of the educational instruction received by pediatricians nor is it something medical examiners evaluate often enough to reach a comprehensive understanding.
The SUDC Foundation (“Foundation”) is the single organization dedicated to promoting research into SUDC. A grant from the Foundation paid for the development and publication of the first national consensus guidelines for SUDC.
“Unexplained Pediatric Deaths: Investigation, Certification, and Family Needs” was published in January 2020 by a panel of experts from over 30 contributors. The experts are from multiple disciplines, including medical examiners, pediatricians, and federal agency experts in fields such as death investigation, autopsy performance, neurology, child abuse, and many others.
A Canadian neuropathologist described the book as “amazing” and said, “Finally, practicing forensic pathologists have practice recommendations to follow, and achieve when they have an apparently unexplained infant/child death to investigate.”
The book also has useful flow charts for the responsibilities of law enforcement, medical examiners/coroners, and death investigators. Plus, there is a section on the grief responses and the needs of families after the death of older children.
Source: forensicmag.com
More from this issue:
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- The Junk Science Cops Use to Decide You’re Lying, by Jordan Smith
- From the Editors
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- Attacking the Guilty Plea: The Art of Withdrawing a Guilty Plea, by Dale Chappell
- Fourth Circuit: Releasee Under First Step Act Can’t ‘Bank’ Extra Time Spent in Prison Toward Future Supervised Release Violation, by Dale Chappell
- New Hampshire Supreme Court Announces Defendant Not Required to Identify Evidentiary Support for Noticed Defense, by Douglas Ankney
- Sixth Circuit Reverses District Court’s Grant of Summary Judgment to Defendants in § 1983 Suit Against City and Police Officers, by Douglas Ankney
- Ninth Circuit Clarifies Use of Rule 60(b) for Changes in Law, by Dale Chappell
- Nebraska Supreme Court Announces Remand for New Sentencing Hearing Appropriate Remedy for Enhanced Vehicular Homicide Sentence Without Evidence of Prior Convictions, by Douglas Ankney
- Study Exposes Public Defender Plea Negotiation Practices and Suggests New Negotiation Theory, by David Reutter
- Colorado Supreme Court Announces New Rules for Awarding Presentencing Credit, by Anthony Accurso
- Government Agencies Expand Use of Private Companies to Bypass Constitution, by Casey Bastian
- California Supreme Court Announces New Time Limit for Habeas ‘Appeal’ Stages, Clarifying Tolling for Federal Habeas Petitioners, by Dale Chappell
- Defense Officials: Law Enforcement in Military Garb not Appropriate, by Casey Bastian
- South Carolina Supreme Court: Failure to Give Logan Instruction Not Harmless Error Where Evidence Almost Entirely Circumstantial, by Douglas Ankney
- Justice Sotomayor Raises Due Process Concerns Over Eleventh Circuit’s Use of Published Successive Habeas Denial Orders, by Dale Chappell
- Colorado Supreme Court: Prosecution Prohibited From Arguing Defendant’s Failure to Retreat Showed Lack of Fear, Undermining Claim of Self-Defense, by Douglas Ankney
- Seventh Circuit: District Court Abused Discretion by Denying Relief Without First Considering Recalculations Under First Step Act, by Douglas Ankney
- California Supreme Court Vacates LWOP Sentence After Its Recent Cases Clarifying ‘Special Circumstance’ Murder, by Dale Chappell
- Arizona Supreme Court Announces Cumulative Error Framework for Reviewing Multiple Instances of Prosecutorial Misconduct, by Douglas Ankney
- Indiana Supreme Court: Must Be Immediate Causal Connection Between Confrontation and Other Crime by Defendant to Negate Self-Defense, by Douglas Ankney
- Seventh Circuit: Sentences for ‘Non-Covered’ Offenses Can Also Be Reduced Under First Step Act, by Dale Chappell
- Ninth Circuit: Police Violate Fourth Amendment Executing Administrative Warrant Where Primary Purpose Is Gathering Evidence for Criminal Investigation, by Douglas Ankney
- Interactions Between Diabetics and Law Enforcement Can Become Life-Threatening, by Casey Bastian
- Fourth Circuit Grants ‘SOS’ § 2254 Petition Attacking Three-Decade-Old Murder Conviction Based on New Evidence, by Dale Chappell
- Washington Federal Court: Looking at Lock Phone Screen Requires Warrant, by Anthony Accurso
- North Carolina Supreme Court: Defendant Can’t Be Convicted of Both Habitual Misdemeanor Assault and Felony Assault for Same Act, by Douglas Ankney
- Michigan Supreme Court: Probation Compliance Check During Unlawfully Extended Probation Was Unauthorized Warrantless Search, by Matthew Clarke
- Medical Experts Publish Guidelines on SUDC, by Douglas Ankney
- Successful Alternatives to Armed Police Response, by Edward Lyon
- Tenth Circuit: District Court Plainly Erred in Giving Erroneous Constructive Possession of Firearm Instruction, Conviction Reversed, by Douglas Ankney
- Second Circuit: District Court’s Failure to Offer Explanation for Its Sentence Constitutes Plain Error, by Douglas Ankney
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- Seventh Circuit: Rehaif Creates Defense and Invalidates Defendant’s Guilty Plea, by David Reutter
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- Policing and Racial Bias, by Kevin Bliss
- How COVID-19 Forces New Releasees Into ‘Survival Mode’, by Dale Chappell
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- New Colorado Law Kills Qualified Immunity for Cops, by Dale Chappell
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- Minneapolis: Use of Force Against Blacks 7 Times Higher Than That for Whites, by Kevin Bliss
- Risk Assessment Tools Perpetuate Inherent Biases and Prejudices, by Kevin Bliss
- New York Police Act With Impunity During Protests, by Kevin Bliss
- New ‘Barcode’ System Puts DNA Sample to the Authenticity Test, by Anthony Accurso
- Police Violence and the 14th Amendment, by Jayson Hawkins
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- News in Brief
- Protecting Your Phone at Protests, by Douglas Ankney
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