State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Missouri > T12 > C194 > 194_117Sudden infant death--notification--autopsy by certified child deathpathologist required, procedure, release to parents orguardian--cost, how paid--department of health and seniorservices duties--rules and regulations.
194.117. Any person who discovers the dead body of, or acquires thefirst knowledge of the death of, any child under the age of one year and overthe age of one week, where the child died suddenly when in apparent goodhealth, shall immediately notify the county coroner or medical examiner of theknown facts concerning the time, place, manner, and circumstances of thedeath. All such deaths shall be autopsied by a certified child deathpathologist. The coroner or medical examiner shall notify the parent orguardian of the child that an autopsy shall be performed at the expense of thestate. The department of health and senior services shall receive promptnotification of such autopsy results. The results from the autopsy shall bereduced to writing and delivered to the state department of health and seniorservices. The term "sudden infant death syndrome" shall be entered on thedeath certificate as the principal cause of death where the term isappropriately descriptive of the circumstances surrounding the death of thechild. The cost of the autopsy and transportation of the body shall be paidby the department of health and senior services, and the department shall pay,out of appropriations made for that purpose, as a reimbursement to thecertified child death pathologist such costs that are within the limitation ofmaximum rates established by the rules and regulations of the department.Autopsies under this section shall be performed by pathologists deemedqualified to perform autopsies by the department of health and senior servicesand who agree to perform the autopsy according to protocols developed pursuantto section 210.196, RSMo. The certified child death pathologist shall ensurethat a tangible summary of the autopsy results is provided to the parents orguardian of the child and shall provide informational material on the subjectof sudden infant death syndrome to the family within one week after theautopsy is performed. A form letter developed by the department of health andsenior services shall include a statement informing the parents or guardian ofthe right to receive the full autopsy results in cases of suspected suddeninfant death syndrome. The certified child death pathologist shall, uponrequest by the parents or guardian, release the full autopsy results to theparents, guardian or family physician in cases of suspected sudden infantdeath syndrome within thirty days of such request. The tangible summary andfull autopsy report shall be provided at no cost to the parents or guardian.The director of the department of health and senior services shall prescribereasonable rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of thissection, including the establishment of a cost schedule and standards forreimbursement of costs of autopsies performed pursuant to the provisions ofthis section. The provisions of this section shall not be construed so as tolimit, restrict or otherwise affect any power, authority, duty orresponsibility imposed by any other provision of law upon any coroner ormedical examiner. The department of health and senior services may receivegrants of money or other aid from federal and other public and privateagencies or individuals for the administration or funding of this section orany portion thereof or for research to determine the cause and prevention ofdeaths caused by sudden infant death syndrome.
(L. 1978 S.B. 765 § 1, A.L. 1991 H.B. 185, A.L. 1993 S.B. 253 merged with S.B. 394, A.L. 1999 S.B. 25)
