Fourth infant dies at home in Athens since May

By Joe Johnson

A 3-month-old boy died Friday at his home on Cherokee Ridge in what is believed to have been due to him sleeping with his mother and siblings.

His death marked the fourth time in five months that a baby has died in Athens soon after being brought home from the hospital.

The infant reportedly had been in good health with no underlying medical conditions, according to Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson, and he died while sleeping in bed, lying between his mother on one side and on the other side two brothers, ages 1 and 3.

An autopsy was conducted and its results were pending, according to Wilson, who said the child’s death was likely due to co-sleeping.

A death from co-sleeping occurs when a baby shares a sleep surface with a parent or adult, and is associated with an increased risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI). SUDI includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation, or accidental strangulation. 

The death of a 3-month-old infant who died in May “was ruled SUIDS in the setting of bed sharing and respiratory infectious process,” according to the coroner.

In two subsequent cases, Wilson said, both infants had respiratory issues, and one of them had slept with another sibling.

Foul play was not suspected in any of the deaths, and what caused them will be determined by scientific testing in conjunction with autopsies that were conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

“Results are pending on histology and toxicology, which is standard protocol for infant deaths,” Wilson said.

He noted that state law requires autopsies for all infants as well as children under 18 who don’t have longstanding medical conditions.