The National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention

Program Description

Administration
South Dakota’s child death review extends to all 66 counties in the state. Additionally, there has been no State Level Advisory Group to review statewide data and develop public health recommendations. In 2011 the Governor of South Dakota appointed a Task Force on Infant Mortality that recommended that all infant deaths in South Dakota be reviewed as a strategy to reduce infant mortality.

Teams
South Dakota has two regional teams, East River and West River. The East River team reviews infant/child deaths (post-birth hospitalization) that occur in the 44 counties east of the Missouri River. The West River team reviews infants/child deaths (post-birth hospitalization) that occur in the 22 counties west of the Missouri River. The teams are multidisciplinary and are comprised of volunteers from law enforcement, Child Protection Services, hospital staff, fire departments, emergency medical services, public health, behavioral health, forensic pathology, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Services, the Great Plains Tribal Leader’s Health Board, and the States Attorney’s and U.S. Attorney’s offices.

Regional Teams:
Teams conduct retrospective/periodic reviews.

Reviews
South Dakota Regional teams review all child deaths up to age 12.

Purpose
The purpose of the child mortality review in South Dakota is prevention.

Data
Standardized data reporting forms are completed for all infant death reviews and input into the database from the National Center. Data from death review is shared with the public via published infographics, presentations, and an Infant Mortality Report, developed every 5 years. A data dashboard, maintained by the CDR Epidemiologist, also displays information from both death review and vital statistics on the Department of Health’s website under Infant Mortality.

Reports
An Infant Mortality Report is developed every 5 years.

Prevention Initiatives
Team findings have influenced policy changes in the state. Local communities have initiated “Back to Sleep” campaigns and neonatal MCAD screening initiatives and since 2012, has reviewed post-birth hospitalization infant deaths statewide. Team findings have motivated prevention activities such as lifesaving equipment being installed at a local river park. South Dakota will begin a State Level Advisory Group meeting annually to make statewide preventive and public health recommendations after a review of data collected by the team reviews.

Protocols
South Dakota has protocols for confidentiality at IDR meetings.

Training
No training is offered.

Last Updated: May 2024