Missouri Code of State Regulations › Title 19 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES › Division 40 - Division of Maternal, Child and Family Health › Chapter 3 - The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Program › Section 19 CSR 40-3.010 - Administration of the SIDS Program

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 14, July 15, 2024
PURPOSE: State law mandates-an autopsy at state
				  expense on any infant who dies suddenly when in apparent good health, the use
				  of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as cause of death on death certificates when
				  autopsy results confirm this, prompt notification of autopsy results and
				  provision of information regarding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to the
				  parent(s) or guardian(s). This rule provides procedures for meeting these
				  requirements.
(1) In the
				event of the sudden and unexplained death of any infant one (1) week to one (1)
				year of age-
(A) The coroner or medical
				examiner shall advise the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the deceased infant that
				an autopsy shall be performed at state expense for the purpose of confirming
				Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). For a SIDS autopsy, the coroner or medical
				examiner shall notify the nearest child death pathologist who has been
				certified by the Missouri Department of Health and shall arrange for an
				autopsy. Pathologists certified by, and following the protocols of, the
				Department of Social Services State Technical Assistance Team shall be deemed
				certified by the Department of Health;
(B) The pathologist who performs this autopsy
				shall report in writing the preliminary results to the coroner or medical
				examiner who authorized the autopsy. The pathologist or coroner/medical
				examiner shall comply with the reporting requirements of the State Technical
				Assistance Team, Child Fatality Review Program;
(C) The certified child death pathologist
				shall ensure that a tangible summary of the autopsy results is provided to the
				parents or guardian of the child and shall provide informational material on
				the subject of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to the family within one week after
				the autopsy is performed. Performed is defined as the completion of the autopsy
				including, but not limited to, laboratory results and any other testing, as
				indicated. The certified child death pathologist shall, upon request by the
				parents or guardian, release the full autopsy results to the parents, guardian,
				or family physician in cases of suspected Sudden Infant Death Syndrome within
				thirty (30) days of such request. The tangible summary and full autopsy report
				shall be provided at no cost to the parents or guardian. The Department of
				Health will develop a form letter which shall include a statement informing the
				parents or guardians of the right to receive the full autopsy results in cases
				of suspected Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and such letter shall be used by the
				child death pathologist to communicate this information to the parents or
				guardians. A copy of the child death pathologist's letter shall be sent to the
				Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health. The Department of Health shall
				provide the required informational material to be included with the form letter
				to the child death pathologists at no charge;
(D) The Missouri Department of Health shall
				pay for non-Medicaid SIDS autopsies at the same rate as that paid for SIDS
				autopsies covered by Medicaid, The Missouri Department of Health shall pay for
				transportation of the body to and from the nearest facility utilized by the
				pathologist at the actual cost of said transportation up to but not to exceed a
				maximum of one hundred fifty dollars ($150). Any additional fee charged by the
				pathologist shall not be paid by the family; and
(E) The medical examiner or coroner shall
				notify the medical certifier of the autopsy finding. The medical certifier, by
				affidavit, shall authorize a correction on the death certificate within ten
				(10) days of notification from the medical examiner or coroner.