Indiana Code
Chapter 14. County Coroner
36-2-14-6.7. Autopsies of Children Who May Have Died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; Autopsy Reports

Sec. 6.7. (a) This section applies to a child who:
(1) died suddenly and unexpectedly;
(2) was less than three (3) years of age at the time of death; and
(3) was in apparent good health before dying.
(b) A child death pathologist or a pathology resident acting under the direct supervision of a child death pathologist shall conduct an autopsy of a child described in subsection (a).
(c) A county coroner may not certify the cause of death of a child described in subsection (a) until an autopsy is performed at county expense.
(d) The county coroner shall contact the parent or guardian of a child described in subsection (a) and notify the parent or guardian that an autopsy will be conducted at county expense.
(e) A county coroner may not certify the cause of death for an infant described in subsection (a) as a sudden unexplained infant death, including sudden infant death syndrome, until a comprehensive death investigation is performed at the county's expense that includes the following:
(1) Comprehensive autopsy including the following:
(A) Imaging.
(B) Pathology.
(C) Toxicology.
(2) Death scene investigation to include death scene photos.
(3) Submission of the sudden unexplained infant death report form to a child death pathologist.
(f) The child death pathologist shall:
(1) ensure that a tangible summary of the autopsy results is provided;
(2) provide informational material concerning sudden infant death syndrome; and
(3) unless the release of autopsy results would jeopardize a law enforcement investigation, provide notice that a parent or guardian has the right to receive the preliminary autopsy results;
to the parents or guardian of the child within one (1) week after the autopsy.
(g) If a parent or guardian of a child described in subsection (a) requests the autopsy report of the child, the coroner shall provide the autopsy report to the parent or guardian within thirty (30) days after the:
(1) request; or
(2) completion of the autopsy report;
whichever is later, at no cost.
(h) A coroner shall notify:
(1) a local child fatality review team; or
(2) if the county does not have a local child fatality review team, the statewide child fatality review committee;
of the death of a child described in subsection (a).
As added by P.L.225-2007, SEC.14. Amended by P.L.143-2022, SEC.78.

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