Some Psychiatric Sequelae to Crib Death

Sudden, unexplained infant deaths present acute problems in adaptation for the remaining members of affected families. A constellation of events is described here in which an older sibling of preschool age is present during the mother's discovery of the crib death. Scapegoating of the surviving child by the mother arises out of the compelling need to reduce her anxiety and guilt. This observation has special significance for the type of therapeutic intervention used.