What are the effects of SIDS on the family?
Whenever someone we love dies, we go through a period of grieving and mourning. It is a natural and necessary process. People grieve in many different ways. After the first shock and numbness have worn off, most parents feel depressed and have difficulty concentrating; they are excessively anxious about the safety of their other children or worry about caring for them. Sometimes parents feel they may be losing their minds. Anger, while often denied, is another common grief reaction. It may be directed at the other parent, the doctor, the babysitter, the other children, even the SIDS baby or society in general. Anger may be expressed or suppressed; each individual copes with it in a personal way. Sometimes parents begin to argue as a result of the anger or to feel distant from each other. These and other upsetting symptoms are normal reactions. With time, however, they become less intense and, eventually, they go away. It is good for parents to express their feelings, both to others and
