Sudden Infant Death Enduring the Lost Author:John Defrain, Linda Ernst, Deanne Jakub, Jacque Taylor Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the major cause of death for infants aged one week to one year, claiming perhaps as many as ten thousand lives each year in the United States. The tragic loss of a baby to SIDS cuts at the very heart of family life, triggering a unique and protracted crisis fraught with emotion and questions for which... more » medical science has as yet no answers.
This enlightening book offers comfort through the experiences of hundreds of family members from all walks of life who talk about the torturous aftereffects of SIDS. As they tell how they managed to survive the terrible journey to recovery following this spiritually numbing tragedy, their stories spawn a bountiful legacy of healing approaches to coping and support.
“It is obvious to me in reading this book that it is a labor of love and compassion. The whole tone of the book displays that kind of sensitivity. Families touched by this awful tragedy will find comfort in the acknowledgment given to their terrible grief and the enormous effort required to make their way back to a new, normal life.”
— Judy Davis, LCSW, cofounder of the Guild for Infant Survival/San Diegans Against SIDS
“This practical, uniquely sympathetic book provides profound insight into the parents’ dreadful unhappiness in the aftermath of the baby’s death … It presents a positive approach to coping with this awesome crisis through effective communication, which is of utmost importance to the process of adjusting to the loss … This book, written out of the real-life experiences of those who have suffered this pain and coped, can show others in like situations how to find their own personal answers.”
— Jane K. Burgess, Ph.D., author and professor emeritus of sociology, University of Wisconsin
“This is more than a book about SIDS. It is a testimony to human resilience, the ability of people to face the most devastating experiences and survive. DeFrain and his coauthors have written a sensitive manuscript with this ultimately hopeful message. They have also provided much practical wisdom for SIDS parents, friends, and professionals about the complex process of coping. Specific suggestions about how to help the grieving survivors should make this book useful to many.”
— Diane E. Papalia, Ph.D., coauthor of the texts A Child’s World, Human Development, and Psychology« less