The death of a 3-month-old Arkansas City infant in May was consistent with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), according to Ark City Police Chief Sean Wallace.
Isabel Brown was not breathing when police went to the child’s home May 4. She was pronounced dead at the local hospital and doctors then suggested SIDS may have caused the death.
A toxicology screen was ordered. Wallace said Monday the coroner’s report has been received and the death ruled a "natural" death.
The baby’s father, Jeremy Brown, was arrested after police found illegal drugs in the home. He was later charged with possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 14. Brown is free on bond.
(SIDS is one of the leading causes of death among infants one month through one year of age in the United States.
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) defines SIDS as the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene and review of the clinical history. SIDS is therefore a diagnosis of exclusion, affixed only once all known and possible causes of death have been ruled out.
