Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: The Subsequent Child

A survey of forty Irish families whose infants succumbed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) showed that early subsequent pregnancy was a common coping strategy during the first year of bereavement. At a mean interim of two years post-loss the majority of these parents felt that raising another child had improved or helped resume the quality of family life. However, the anxiety experienced by some parents may resemble that of the ‘vulnerable child syndrome’, which is characterized by overprotection or avoidance of attachment for fear of another impending loss. Whilst the data do not claim to have complete answers to the theoretical issues raised in this article with regard to attachment and grief theories, it provides some interesting empirical information regarding ‘replacement child pathology’ which may be useful to social workers and other health professionals involved in the after-care of SIDS families.