SIDS is therefore a diagnosis of exclusion, affixed only once all known and possible causes of death have been ruled out.
Death happens suddenly, and the family often has no time to prepare.
The infant may recently have been given a clean bill of health from the pediatrician. The death of an infant from SIDS disrupts the natural order and is a traumatic event that affects the family for the rest of their lives. The sudden, unexpected death of an infant threatens parents' safety and security and forces them to confront their own mortality. The lack of a discernible cause, the suddenness of the tragedy and the involvement of the legal system make a SIDS death especially difficult, leaving a great sense of loss and a need for understanding. The impact of SIDS is extensive and affects a myriad of people from parents, siblings, and grandparents to extended family, friends, babysitters, and co-workers.