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SIDS: Permissive or Privileged "Diagnosis"?
P. J. Berry, FRCPath
Department of Pediatric Pathology The University of Bristol Bristol, England
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157:293-294.
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| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings. |
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The 1969 definition of SIDS by Beckwith and colleagues has benefited innumerable families and been a focus for research that has culminated in "typical" SIDS becoming a rarity in many countries. This welcome reduction in SIDS cases has brought to the forefront problems with the definition and its overuse.
Problems arise because the definition (which is really a description) is imprecise and because the term SIDS is used in 2 different and sometimes incompatible ways. First, it is a certifiable cause of death that is also a starting point for supporting bereaved parents; second, it is an inclusion criterion for SIDS research. This dichotomy is addressed in Dr Beckwith's proposed 2-tier approach, but the imprecision is not.
A unique aspect of SIDS is that it is the only context in which a pathologist can give a certifiable cause of death in the absence of finding an . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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Defining the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
J. Bruce Beckwith
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157(3):286-290.
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