Chapter 5: Infant Embalming 1 CE Hour
By: Lindsay A. Andre' Learning objectives
After completing this course, the learner will be able to: Determine and understand the most common causes of infant death
Understand the techniques and chemicals used in infant embalming Explain Preparing autopsied infant cases Explain Preparing the infant for viewing and services Upon completion of this course, the skilled embalming practitioner will have an understanding of the proper techniques that are used to achieve lasting and lifelike appearances and how to present the infant for viewing purposes. During this course, we will discuss and review the following course objectives.
Course overview This course has been researched and designed as a guide to understand and work through the techniques, skills, and knowledge required in identifying, and performing the most appropriate modern-day embalming procedures on infant cases. The embalming procedures discussed are based on body condition and size and include infants up to 18 months of age. This course will also discuss methods used in infant cases when an autopsy has been performed.
MOST COMMON CAUSES OF DEATH IN INFANTS
● Family history of SIDS ● Mothers who have given birth that is under the age of 20 ● Being in the presence of cigarette smoke after birth ● Overheating Preterm Birth - Premature birth is the delivery of an infant before 37 full weeks of gestation. The babies who survive a preterm birth remain vulnerable to a host of health complications. The earlier the baby is born, the higher the risk. Infants that are born before 32 weeks are at a higher risk for cerebral palsy, mental retardation, hearing loss, and vision impairment. As they grow older, they are more prone than full- term babies to learning difficulties, behavioral disorders, and emotional problems. The causes of mortality in preterm babies can include sepsis, asphyxia, respiratory distress syndrome or hyaline membrane disease, cold injury, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, metabolic and electrolyte disturbances, and congenital disorders such as major congenital heart malformations and neurological malformations. However, it is not known which of these conditions contribute to what proportion of preterm mortality. Birth Defects - Birth defects affect 1 in every 33 infants born in the United States each year. Birth defects are structural changes present at birth that can affect almost any part of the body both internally and externally. These defects can affect how the body looks, works, or both and can vary from mild to moderate to severe. The well-being of each child changed with a birth defect depends mostly on which organ or body part is involved and how much it is affected. The most common birth defects include heart defects, lung, defects, brain, and genetic conditions. Unintentional Suffocation – Unintentional suffocation is another leading cause of infant death in the United States today. Soft bedding is the top cause of sleep-related suffocation deaths among infants, according to recent studies by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Approximately 69% of infant suffocation cases involved soft bedding like a blanket or pillow, 19% occurred when a person was on top of or against the infant (overlay) in 12% of cases, the infant lay wedged between objects.
Infant mortality is an essential indicator of the overall health of a society. Further, significant differences persist in infant mortality among different racial and ethnic groups, with the most striking disparity between babies born to black women and babies born to white women. Considerable progress has been made in the United States over the past 50 years to reduce infant mortality however; more needs to be done. The leading causes of infant death in the United States have not changed in recent years despite advances in science and an increased concentration on prenatal care. More troubling yet is the fact that under the Kaiser Family Foundation, the United States surpasses all other major developed countries concerning infant mortality. Although the death rate in the United States fell from 6.2 per 1,000 births in 2010 to 5.7 per 1,000 births in 2017, that number is more than Canada (4.8 per 1,000 births), the United Kingdom (3.9 per 1,000 births), Australia (3.4 per 1,000 births), and Japan (2.1 per 1,000 births). While the majority of infant deaths in the United States occur less than 28 days after birth (the neonatal period), a substantial share occurs 28 to 364 days after birth (the postneonatal period). In 2017, 66 percent of infant deaths occurred in the neonatal period, and 40 percent of all infant deaths occurred specifically within the first 24 hours of birth. About a third of infant deaths (34 percent) occurred in the postneonatal period. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) - is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than one year of age. Most SIDS deaths are associated with sleep, which is why it's sometimes called "crib death." Most SIDS deaths occur in infants aged 2 to 4 months old, and more often than not, the number of cases rise during cold weather months. Studies have shown that Native and African American infants are more likely to die of SIDS than Caucasian infants. Studies also indicate that boys are more prone than girls fall victim to SIDS. Other known factors that may contribute to SIDS include: ● Smoking, drinking, or drug use during pregnancy and after birth ● Unsatisfactory or inadequate prenatal care ● Premature birth or low birth weight
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Book Code: FFL1223
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