05-01 Preliminary Homicide Investigations - Definitions

Question 1

Child means:

Answer 1

a person younger than 18.

Question 2

Infant means:

Answer 2

a child less than 1 year of age.

Question 3

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) means:

Answer 3

the sudden death of an infant under one (1) year of age, which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation and must include

• a complete autopsy
• an examination of the death scene
• a police investigation
• a review of the child’s clinical history.

Question 4

Sudden Unexplained Death means the death investigation of a child due to:

Answer 4

• SID
• accidental injury
• non–accidental injury due to neglect or abuse, or

a previously undiagnosed natural disease process and may include

• negative autopsy but evidence of an old healed fracture which has not been adequately explained by the investigation
• negative autopsy but a previous history of child abuse
• negative autopsy but some positive toxicology, which although not considered to be a cause of death cannot be explained (e.g. blood alcohol of 30mg in a five month old child)

Where there is significant concern regarding any part of the death investigation, the cause of death should be classified as a SUD.