Regional Infant and Child Mortality Review Committee 2017 Final Report.

The Regional Infant and Child Mortality Review Committee serves 10 counties in southeastern South Dakota and aims for its reviews to prevent future loss of life during childhood. The Committee reviewed 29 deaths in 2017 (compared to 32 cases in 2013, 25 in 2014, 24 in 2015, and 25 in 2016). In 2017, four deaths in the region were attributable to homicide, including, for the first time in the 21 years of the Committee's reviews, two cases involving adolescents. Similar to 2013, there was a spike of five deaths attributed to suicide, yielding a rate for the region that is higher than that observed nationally. Four infants in 2017 died of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). Though this marked a decrease in the number of SUID observed in previous years in the region, each occurred in an unsafe sleep environment and reflects the need for continued community education regarding safe sleep. In addition, a car crash involving an unbelted teen driver led to a death revealing the ongoing need to promote seat belt use for all who operate vehicles. The report provides the Committee's recommendations for community action that could prevent future deaths of infants and children.