CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman County Coroner’s Office on May 21-22, hosted a Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation (SUIDI) training class at the Cullman VFW, with many local and neighboring agencies in attendance.
Cullman County Coroner Jeremy Kilpatrick said SUIDI training is important for coroners. law enforcement and medical examiners to be able to determine cause and manner of death of an infant.
“It’s important for families to understand why their infant died,” Kilpatrick said. “This class is to familiarize investigators with the best practices for conducting an investigation into infant death, what to look for, what needs to be reported to the medical examiner and how to fill out forms required by the CDC.”
The class was sponsored by the Cullman County Coroner’s Office, Shelby County Coroner’s Office and the Alabama Department of Public Health-Bureau of Prevention, Promotion, and Support.
Kilpatrick and Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans are both trainers for the ADPH in SUIDI.
Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker spoke to attendees on May 21 on the importance of this type of investigation.
“I spoke to this group of law enforcement officers, coroners and other professionals about the prosecution standpoint on cases of sudden unexplained infant death,” Crocker said. “The tragic fact is most of these cases are preventable, and most of those are because of unsafe sleeping arrangements. The Alabama Department of Public Health is promoting the ‘Clear The Crib’ challenge to remind parents the importance of a clear crib to reduce risks to their babies. Hopefully, this will result in safer sleep environments and less of these cases.”
Kilpatrick said sudden infant death is broad area and the intent of an investigation is to narrow down the cause and manner of death.
”In 2024, 75% of the SUIDI cases investigated by the Cullman County Coroner’s Office were ‘undetermined,’ however, those 75% were due to unsafe sleeping conditions,” Kilpatrick said. “This could be co-sleeping, overlaying by guardian or due to other reasons of unsafe sleeping conditions. ADPH can provide a pack n’ play free of charge for families that are unable to provide a safe sleeping space for their baby.”
Lunch was provided on Wednesday by the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and on Thursday by Legacy of Hope.
The class included 29 attendees representing 17 different agencies that participated in the two-day training event. Agencies included the Blount County Coroner’s Office, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Bibb County Coroner’s Office, Brooks’ Place, Chambers County Coroner’s Office, Cullman County Coroner’s Office, Cullman County EMA, Cullman County Sheriff’s Office, Cullman Police Department, Morgan County Coroner’s Office, Lauderdale County Coroner’s Office, Walker County Coroner’s Office, Winston County Coroner’s Office, Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office, Shelby County Coroner’s Office, Valley Police Department and the Legacy of Hope.
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