Could SIDS Be a Fraud?

Before Clark was born I tried to find some books on fatherhood to prepare myself for the ordeal. There aren't a lot of good or interesting books on fatherhood.  Moms get all the good books. The best I read was by Michael Lewis, yes the guy who wrote Moneyball and Liar's Poker.   His Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood was a great read and included plenty of learning from his screw ups, fatherhood advice, and directions.

One thing that really stood out was his suggestion that SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) was merely used to cover for parents who murdered their infants. That can't be, can it?

The National Institute of Health's (NIH) website defines SIDS rather vaguely:

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected, sudden death of a child under age 1 in which an autopsy does not show an explainable cause of death.

Really, that's the best they can do?  It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. I'm not really a sci-fi guy, but I've watch hundreds if not thousands of hours of reality crime TV (think: TruTV and Discovery ID).  I'm not saying I agree with Lewis, but let play devil's advocate.  Let's look at things a little differently.  Let's look at things from a potential murderer's perspective?

 

Thankful for the Noises Babies Make

I wrote this on Clark's first night home (04/23/2011):

I sit here with my baby boy on the second night of his life.  This time at home, no hospital, no nurses. His mom is trying to get some sleep before her ravenously hungry son needs to nurse again.  I'm so happy for all the strange little noises he makes while he sleeps.

The idea of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is the scariest thing in the world to most new parents.  You worry that one moment your child is alive, you turn your head and he's dead.

On Clark's first night home I laid him down for the first time in his crib.  I proceeded to turn off the lights and try to get some sleep.  Lying there in darkness and silence, I was scared as hell.  I couldn't see or hear my child.  What if SIDS got him already?!  I better check. No, I better stand guard!   Then it happened, Clark's little body started making noises as he slept, letting me know he was alive.  When I turned the lamp on, I noticed he was like a ventriloquist.  The sounds came from his mouth, but his lips never moved.  Thanks goodness for the noises babies make.

     - Clark's Dad