Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infancy: the New South Wales Experience

The Child Death Review Team (the Team, CDRT) with funding from the NSW Government, undertook a research project into incidents of SUDI to consolidate existing knowledge of unsafe sleeping environments; determine current parental practices in New South Wales in relation to modifiable risk factors that contribute to SUDI; describe current policy and practice in New South Wales when responding to these sudden deaths; and identify SUDI due to assault and neglect.

The study commenced with a comprehensive literature review to examine current research and international practice and protocols relating to SUDI. This review informed the overall design of the study. The study comprised five individual components; an audit of the key information collected; an analysis of NSW agency policies and guidelines; an investigation of worker practice; an analysis of parental practices in relation to modifiable risk factors; and an analysis of SUDI resulting from assault or neglect, or occurring in suspicious circumstances.