2000 Annual Review
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Types of Deaths Investigated and Certified
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is defined as the sudden death of an infant less than one year of age that remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including the performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the scene of the death, and review of the clinical history. In Alberta, the Medical Examiner's Office considers the manner of death in SIDS to be natural. If there is any concern that the death is not natural, the cause and manner of death are both classified as undetermined. There has been a worldwide decline in the incidence of SIDS since the early 1990s. This trend has also been noted in Alberta.
SIDS Cases by Age and Region
|
Age
|
Calgary
|
South Rural
|
Edmonton
|
North Rural
|
Total
|
| Under 1 month |
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
| 1-3 months |
3
|
2
|
2
|
5
|
12
|
| 4-6 months |
1
|
1
|
5
|
3
|
10
|
| 7-12 months |
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
4
|
| Total |
9
|
6
|
7
|
12
|
29
|
SIDS Cases by Age Group
SIDS Cases in Alberta from 1985-2000
