Baby Gert’s parents, Gert (20) and Monique Fourie (21), finally have peace in their hearts.
SIDS, also known as cot death, is the sudden unexplained death of a child less than one year of age.
It usually occurs during sleep.
“We are at peace because we know no one is to blame for our son’s death,” says Gert.
He explains they understand SIDS is sudden and there is no suffering.
“If he had choked, he would have suffocated and that is not what happened to him, he didn’t suffer,” says Gert.
Last Monday was the four-month-old’s first day at crèche and also Monique’s first day back at work from maternity leave.
She was employed at the crèche.
Shortly after arriving, a teacher came to call Monique and informed her there was something wrong with Gert.
Monique tried to resuscitate her baby and rushed to him to a nearby doctor’s consulting rooms, but he was already dead by the time she arrived.
According to Gert, the local pathologist determined the baby died of natural causes and milk was found on his lungs.
The family dismisses this, and Gert says his baby didn’t suffocate.
“He was already cold by the time Monique reached him,” he says.
He claims the blood coming from the infant’s nose could have been caused by the cardiopulmonary resuscitation process, which may have caused the blood vessels in the nose to burst.
The family utilised the services of a private pathologist from Durban, who determined SIDS as the cause of death
They are are content with these findings.”We accept his death with regret and sadness, and no one is to blame,” adds Gert.
“We also know where he is now, he is at peace and we are glad we have the answers to our questions.”
