S.A.D. SYNDROME: THE LAST GREAT MYSTERY OF OBSTETRICS
"Normal babies are dying needlessly during maternal sleep,"
says Jason H. Collins, M.D, "and I truly believe that half these
babies don't have to die." Dr. Collins is an obstetrician of twenty
years and has been researching Sudden Antenatal Death (S.A.D.)Syndrome
for a decade.
More than 39,000 babies are stillborn in the United States every year.
Research by the Pregnancy Institute indicates that S.A.D. Syndrome, secondary
to umbilical cord accidents, of full term infants accounts for more than
4,000 of these deaths. Yet the cause of another 50-60% of the 30,000 stillborn
babies is unknown. "This is a devastating event because the babies
are normal but died," says Collins. The autopsy findings on S.A.D.
babies usually result in a diagnosis of undeterminable, leaving the family
with many unanswered questions. "This results in unrelenting guilt
and anxiety," says Joanne Cacciatore, Director of M.I.S.S. a group
dedicated to providing counseling and support to the survivors of S.A.D.
Syndrome.
Dr. Collins has interviewed more than 300 S.A.D. families in his research. The research has indicated a succinct pattern resulting in his working theory that S.A.D. Syndrome may be related to fetal-maternal sleep and its effects on a baby in utero. S.A.D. can also affect infants during childbirth and in the early postpartum period. Collins points out that his research is likely to reveal many enigmas associated with early stillbirth and S.A.D. Syndrome. For more information on S.A.D. Syndrome, contact the Pregnancy Institute at 504-847-0607 or visit M.I.S.S. at www.misschildren.org.
Author Biography
Joanne Cacciatore is the founder
of the M.I.S.S. Foundation and the author of the book Dear Cheyenne.
For more information or to contact Joanne, please see the M.I.S.S. site
at www.misschildren.org
or email her.
