Sids Ahky, Author, SIDS Survivor, and Advocate for DV Survivors

Domestic violence (DV) is a form of violence by a partner(s) against another partner(s) in an intimate relationship. It is recognized as an important social problem by governmental & non-governmental agencies.

Victimization from domestic violence transcends the boundaries of gender & sexual orientation, with significant percentages of LGBT couples facing these issues. Men are subject to domestic violence in large numbers but they are less likely to be physically hurt than female victims. Social & economically disadvantaged groups in the US regularly face worse rates of domestic violence than other groups.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death or crib death, is the sudden unexplained death of a child less than 1 year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remains unexplained even after a thorough autopsy & detailed death scene investigation. SIDS usually occurs during sleep. Typically, death occurs between midnight & 9:00 am. There is usually no evidence of struggle and no noise produced. The exact cause of SIDS is unknown. The requirement of a combination of factors including a specific underlying susceptibility, a specific time in development, and an environmental stressor has been proposed.

SIDS makes up about 80% of Sudden and Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUIDs), with other causes including infections, genetic disorders, & heart problems. Grief support for families impacted by SIDS is important, as the death of the infant is sudden, without witnesses, & often associated with an investigation