Byard RW Krous HF, editors:

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Problems, Progress & Possibilities, 256 pp, Adelaide, Edward Arnold, 2001 ($78.50).

This is a unique overview of the state of current knowledge regarding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) explored from a range of perspectives. Contributors include basic scientists, forensic pathologists, neuropathologists, microbiologists, clinicians, epidemiologists, and sociologists. Even the personal perspective of a mother who lost her child to SIDS is included. The many perspectives represented reflect the swirl of debate that surrounds this politically charged topic. Interestingly, one of the most hotly debated facets of SIDS is its very definition. In the preface, Dr. J. Bruce Beckwith, who introduced the term SIDS in 1969, argues that two definitions should exist: a rigorous one for scientific publications and a more inclusive one for the purposes of qualification for family support services. Theories of causality abound in the SIDS research community, but it has been reliably shown that since the introduction of public health campaigns urging parents not to position sleeping infants in the prone position, SIDS rates have declined. But the question remains, as raised by Dr. Susan Beal in her chapter reviewing theories of causality, “Why can some, but not all, infants cope with the prone position? How do we identify such infants?” I highly recommend this review of the current state of SIDS research and diagnosis. Forensic pathologists will find this book of practical use (particularly Dr. Randy Hanzlick’s excellent chapter on death scene investigation), while researchers will find it a useful compendium of current opinion in the field.