State social workers will begin to be notified of all unexplained infant deaths in Massachusetts to investigate for signs of abuse, the New England Center for Investigative Reporting reports.
The new state guidelines are intended to "assure that all infant deaths are reported to the agency." Sudden Unexpected Infant Death is the leading cause of mortality among children between 1 month and 1 year in Massachusetts, according to NECIR.
While police often alert the Department of Children and Families to unexplained deaths, the new guidelines are intended to assure that all infant deaths are reported to the agency. Emergency workers will be advised to notify DCF social workers whenever they encounter the unexplained death of a baby, according to Carlene Pavlos, a state Department of Public Health official.
Read the full story: Unexplained infant deaths to be reported to state social workers .
