Peer Support

Losing a baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is devastating to parents, families, and caregivers. Completely unexpected, SIDS offers parents no opportunity to plan for their child's death or to say goodbye to their baby. Worse yet, the death cannot be explained, so parents examine and re-examine their behavior, searching for actions that might have caused or prevented it. Emotions run the gamut from tears to incredible anger, resentment and the desire to blame someone: sometimes parents blame one another, the caregiver, or the doctor who said their child was healthy.

At times the grief may seem unbearable. SIDS parents may be depressed or find it hard to focus. They may be physically ill, or unable to sleep or eat. For most people, the best and most important resource is a parent contact and/or peer support group meeting. Meetings are held bi-monthly throughout Orange County.

The Guild for Infant Survival, Orange County (GISOC) support group gives parents an opportunity to talk about their feelings -- and how to survive them -- with other families who have been through the experience. The sessions are conducted by SIDS parents who have been trained as facilitators through the State of California. It is important for SIDS parents to know they are not alone.

The opportunity to talk with others who have been through a SIDS death can be of great comfort. In addition, GISOC has a 24-hour, 7 day-a-week line that puts you in contact with a parent that is available for immediate support. The telephone number is 949- 474-SIDS(7437).