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SH07J070SIDS Rudy and Melissa Haberzettl of Colorado Springs, Colo., hold a portrait of their son Jake who died of SIDS at 3 months old. (SHNS photo by Tom Kimmell)

SIDS - A SPECIAL REPORT
(Editors: Each segment in our project "Saving Babies: Exposing Sudden Infant Death in America" is also available at www.scrippsnews.com/sids, along with a nationwide database of 20,000 sudden infant deaths.)

SIDS (Hargove & Bowman, SHNS) -- PITTSBURGH: America grossly undercounts the number of babies who suffocate in avoidable sleeping accidents, top medical authorities and child-safety advocates agreed in a first-of-its-kind gathering to combat sudden infant death. 800. With photos: SH08D113SIDS, SH08D114SIDS.

EDSIDS (Dale McFeatters, SHNS) -- America grossly undercounts the number of babies who suffocated in avoidable sleeping accidents. 350.

SIDS-FLORIDA (Bowman & Hargrove --SHNS) -- Florida's Child Abuse Death Review Committee issues a wide-ranging call for improved standards of infant-death investigation and review in the state, citing some of the deficiencies illustrated by the recent Scripps Howard reports. 500.

SIDS-REACT (Hargrove, Bowman, SHNS) -- WASHINGTON: Influential members of Congress and child safety advocates are working to change how America investigates and diagnoses more than 4,000 sudden infant deaths each year. 900. With photos: SH07L239SIDSREACT, SH07L240SIDSREACT, SH07L241SIDSREACT, SH07L242SIDSREACT, SH07L243SIDSREACT

SIDS-SMOTHER (Hargrove and Bowman, SHNS)-- The mystery of sudden infant death has been solved in a growing number of communities in America. But the answer is seldom SIDS. Coroners who carefully follow federal guidelines while probing the 4,000 unexpected infant deaths nationally each year are discovering a hard truth. Most of these babies are suffocating in completely avoidable accidents, a nine-month investigation by Scripps Howard News Service has found. 1,700 with optional ending. With photos: SH07L105SIDSSMOTHER, SH07L106SIDSSMOTHER, SH07L107SIDSSMOTHER, SH07L111SIDSSMOTHER, SH07L112SIDSSMOTHER, SH07L113SIDSSMOTHER, SH07L114SIDSSMOTHER

SIDS-COSLEEP (Bowman, SHNS) -- Even some parents who previously believed their babies died of SIDS are beginning to line up behind growing evidence that co-sleeping is a greater danger, but advocates of family bed sharing are adamant in their support of the practice nonetheless. 900. With photos: SH07L099SIDSCOSLEEP, SH07L100SIDSCOSLEEP, SH07L101SIDSCOSLEEP, SH07L102SIDSCOSLEEP, SH07L103SIDSCOSLEEP

SIDS-CRIBS (Bowman, SHNS) -- It's the ABC's of infant safe sleep -- Alone, on the Back, in a Crib. But as counselors and researchers reviewing sudden infant deaths around the country have found, there are often financial, social and educational barriers to many families having a proper crib where their baby can sleep. 400. With photo: SH07L104SIDSCRIBS

SIDS-SAFETY (SHNS) -- The American Academy of Pediatricians in 2005 issued seven guidelines for safe infant sleep, first of which is that babies should sleep alone in a crib with a firm mattress. 150.

SIDS-COUNTIES (SHNS) -- These 11 counties lead the nation in the detection of accidental infant asphyxiation, according to an analysis of more than 20,000 infant deaths from Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 31, 2004, by Scripps Howard News Service.

SIDS-CHART2,3,4 (SHNS) -- Charts showing the percentage of cases found to be asphyxiation by state and by counties and the 11 counties that lead the nation in the detection of accidental infant asphyxiation.

EDSIDSSMOTHER (McFeatters, SHNS-- Editorial) -- A call for a national campaign educating parents about safe sleep practices -- babies on their backs in a crib. 500.

INFANT - HOMICIDE

INFANT-DEATHS (Hargrove & Hall, SHNS) -- Hundreds of Americans kill their babies every year. Depending on where they live, they may well get away with it. States with aggressive review of infant-death investigations are finding twice as many homicides as states with little or no such oversight, a Scripps Howard News Service study of 40,000 infant deaths has found. (Editors: This has three alternate endings to fit your space.) With photos: SH07K085INFANTDEATHS, SH07K086INFANTDEATHS, SH07K087INFANTDEATHS, SH07K088INFANTDEATHS, SH07K089INFANTDEATHS, SH07K090INFANTDEATHS, SH07K091INFANTDEATHS, SH07K092INFANTDEATHS, SH07K03INFANTDEATHS, SH07K094INFANTDEATHS.

INFANT-CASES (Hoffman, SHNS) -- Some shocking and tragic cases of infant homicide that nearly slipped through the net. 800. With photos: SH07K117INFANTCASES, SH07K118INFANTCASES, SH07K119INFANTCASES, SH07K139INFANTCASES.

INFANT-IDAHO (Crowe, SHNS) -- How did Idaho become the only state in the nation not to give special attention to the deaths of children? A case study. 600. INFANT-HISTORY (Hargrove, SHNS) -- A brief history of infant-death review. 400.

INFANT-CHART1 -- Infant homicides by state over a five-year period.

INFANT-CHART2 -- Infant homicides by county.

INFANT-CHART3 --The level of child-death review by state.

EDINFANTDEATHS (Dale McFeatters, SHNS) -- National standards for infant-death review would save innocents from cruel deaths. 600.

INVESTIGATING SUDDEN INFANT DEATH

SIDS-INVESTIGATE (Bowman & Crowe, SHNS) -- Child-safety advocates are stepping up calls for national standards on investigating sudden infant deaths after new revelations about the tattered patchwork of state systems determining what kills more than 4,000 babies a year. 1,500. With photos: SH07K011SIDSINVESTIGATE, SH07K012SIDSINVESTIGATE, SH07K013SIDSINVESTIGATE, SH07K014SIDSINVESTIGATE, SH07K015SIDSINVESTIGATE, SH07K016SIDSINVESTIGATE, SH07K017SIDSINVESTIGATE.

SIDS-WASH (Crowe, SHNS) -- Even though Washington state is widely acknowledged as a pioneer in the investigation of sudden infant death, medical authorities there, like the rest of the nation, are struggling to get it right. 800.

SIDS-LAWS (Hargrove, SHNS) -- Nowhere is the confusion surrounding sudden infant death more apparent than in the 95 unique and often-contradictory statutes approved by state legislatures throughout the nation in recent years. 500. With maps, SH07K018SIDSPROTOCOL, SH07K019SIDSPROTOCOL; and graphics, SH07K020SIDSSURV, SH07K021SIDSSURV.

EDSIDS (Dale McFeatters, SHNS) -- A call for a national standard of investigating sudden infant deaths. 400.

SAVING BABIES: EXPOSING SUDDEN INFANT DEATH IN AMERICA

SIDS (Hargrove and Bowman, SHNS) -- Every day in America at least 10 babies die suddenly and mysteriously. Yet some of the more than 4,000 victims of sudden infant death each year could be saved if there was a simple national standard for infant death investigations, a seven-month review by Scripps Howard News Service has found.

In fact, we are getting further away from solving the mystery of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome because of sloppy procedures, manipulation of statistics, misguided efforts to protect the feelings of grieving parents, and deliberate attempts to make SIDS go away, at least on paper. 4,500. With photos: SH07J066SIDS, SH07J067SIDS, SH07J068SIDS, SH07J069SIDS, SH07J070SIDS, SH07J071SIDS, SH07J072SIDS, SH07J073SIDS, SH07J074SIDS, SH07J075SIDS

SIDS-SHORT is an abbreviated version of the main that offers three additional length alternatives. With photos: SH07J085SIDSSHORT, SH07J086SIDSSHORT, SH07J087SIDSSHORT, SH07J088SIDSSHORT, SH07J089SIDSSHORT, SH07J090SIDSSHORT. EDITORS: The pictures with SIDS-SHORT can be used with any story.

SIDS-FAMILIES (Bowman, SHNS) -- Families of SIDS victims tell disturbing tales of how they were treated and whether medical authorities are correctly determining the causes of death of their infants. "The medical examiner's people went from story to story about what had happened to her, but kept telling me it wasn't SIDS," said Victoria LaBarbera of Broward County, Fla., after the death of her 6-month-old daughter. "It robs you of who you are. You're told your baby died and they have no idea why.'' 1,300. With photos: SH07J078SIDSFAMILIES, SH07J079SIDSFAMILIES

SIDS-NEWYORK (Hargrove, SHNS) -- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has virtually disappeared in the state of New York, a suspicious decline that medical experts believe resulted from questionable accounting methods rather than a medical breakthrough for infant health. A few months ago, the New York State Department of Health reported only 23 SIDS deaths for one year. "That has to be wrong!" said a prominent SIDS researcher. 1,300.

SIDS-JAIDEN (Hoffman, SHNS)-- The story of Jaiden Tallent's short life and unexplained death is one of indescribable sorrow, guilt and crushed hopes -- the same sad daggers that forever scar the hearts of other families whose babies are similarly lost to sudden infant death. 1,600. With photos: SH07J080SIDSJAIDEN, SH07J081SIDSJAIDEN

SIDS-AUTOPSY (Bowman, SHNS) -- It starts with a phone call about a small life suddenly ended. A baby is found lifeless, unable to be revived. Almost all of the more than 4,000 sudden and unexpected infant deaths in this country each year prompt a detailed investigation into the circumstances and an autopsy. A look at how medical examiners autopsy and investigate infant death. 1,800. With photos: SH07J076SIDSAUTOPSY, SH07J077SIDSAUTOPSY

SIDS-THEORIES (Bowman, SHNS) -- Despite decades of research, no definite cause of SIDS is known. Researchers believe that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome probably has more than one cause, and that there may be different causes of SIDS from one baby to another. Some of the possible causes of the syndrome that have been discussed and researched over the years. 500.

SIDS-POLL (Hargrove, SHNS) -- One in every five American adults knows a family that lost a child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. People who have children of their own are more than twice as likely to personally know a victim of SIDS than are people who've never been parents, according to a nationwide survey of 1,010 adults conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University. 350.

SIDS-WHATIS (SHNS) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines SIDS as: "The sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age that remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history." A brief look at what is known about SIDS. 250.

SIDS-WHATNOT (SHNS) -- The determination that a baby died of SIDS means that a coroner or medical examiner could find no other cause of death. Experts don't know what causes SIDS. But they agree what SIDS is not. 350.

SIDS-TIMELINE (SHNS) -- From ancient Egypt to the latest research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a look had how societies and medical authorities treat cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. 1,000.

SIDS-GLOSSARY (SHNS) -- A glossary of medical terms important to understanding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. 700.

SIDS-TIPS (SHNS) -- Tips for sudden infant death prevention from the National Institutes of Health. 200.

SIDS-CHART1, 2, 3 (SHNS) -- Charts showing the varying rate that SIDS is diagnosed in each state, a look at how often the cause of death is reported to be "unknown" or SIDS or cases of accidental suffocation or smothering by state and by county. 250.

SIDS-RESOURCES (SHNS) -- Where to get information or support on SIDS. 100.

EDSIDS (McFeatters, SHNS -- Editorial) -- A call for national standards for the investigation and diagnosis of sudden infant deaths. 600.

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