Dear Esther,
     I'm so sorry for the family you are describing.  The death of an infant
is tragic, but even more horrible when ignorant people do harm.  The
newspaper and the police chief will probably have created a lifetime of
guilt and blame for this young couple, who were so in love with their
new baby that they even wanted to keep him with them during the
night.
     I'm a public health nurse in a small northern California community,
and also an IBCLC.  One of my duties  as a PHN is to respond with
home visits and information to SIDS families.  We have had many
ignorant first responders (ie police, sheriffs and deputies, paramedics)
who have done great harm to families with their unfortunate actions
and comments.  California has a several years old program of
education for first responders by an expert team that travels the
state--I've attended their sessions and they do a wonderful job.
You may want to pursue this at the state level--we can talk later,
if you like.
     The subject of "overlaying" is addressed in the literature and
especially by McKenna as an activity that was practiced by poor
people who could not afford another baby and who were actually
practicing infanticide.  McKenna's sleep studies show that
babies and mothers who co-sleep awaken each other briefly
throughout the night, most times without becoming fully awake
and aware.
     If you send me your mailing address I'll send you the packet
California gives to its SIDS families.  You might want to check
with a PHN to see what the mother would have already received.
She will need an advocate, but may not trust easily now.
     I have been working in the field of lactation since 1978,
starting out as a La Leche League leader and then becoming an
IBCLC, and then getting my BSN and becoming a PHN.  My first
effort as a new LLL leader was to help a new family, and to
applaude and encourage their practice of co-sleeping.  That same
night their baby died between them, after breastfeeding.  I was
so afraid, for them and for me.  Fortunately, this horror never
made the news, except in the obituaries, but that family suffered!
Luckily, their pediatrician knew about SIDS and assured everyone
that they did not suffocate their baby.  They did, however, have to
live with the coroner's final report that this was a "probable" SIDS--
which meant to many involved that they did, indeed, suffocate their
baby.
     Please e-mail me if you would like me to mail you anything
that I have.  And please stay in touch.  My maiden name was
Dietz, I grew up in Oakley and often visited my relatives in
Garden City.  Now my best childhood friend lives there, and we
were just there visiting in May!

Debbie Pierce, PHN, IBCLC
Chico, California
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