1. 32% of babies were pronounced dead by their General Practitioner (GP). Two GPs did not encourage the parents to hold their baby before the baby was taken to the hospital.
2. GPs explained post-mortem procedure and results to parents in only 19% of cases.
3. 42% of the families who did not contact their GP when they found their baby dead were never contacted by their GP.
4. Only two GPs provided parents with ISIDA's booklet of information on SIDS and bereavement entitled 'A Precious Past, A Hopeful Future'.

While the majority of parents stated that they found their GP helpful, 33% stated that he/she was not helpful to them.

An Gardá Síochána

Evaluation of the service parents received from the Gardaí

1. 14% of parents stated that they did not find the Gardaí helpful. Generally this was becouse they
   • did not know the Garda would be involved and found it threatening
   • disliked the manner in which the Gardaí carried out their duties
2. Several parents stated that they never met the Gardaí.
3. Several parents reported that the Gardaí said they would come back to them with further information about the post-mortem, but never did.
4. Three Gardaí provided parents with ISIDA's booklet of information on SIDS and bereavement entitled, 'A Precious Past, A Hopeful Future'.

1. 33% of parents stated that they were never visited by the Public Health Nurse following their baby's death.
2. 14% of parents who had contact with their Public health Nurse stated that they did not find the contact helpful.
3. One parent received ISIDA's booklet of information on SIDS and bereavement entitled 'A Precious Past, A Hopeful Future' from their Public Health Nurse.

1. Over half (62%) of the parents stated that contact with ISIDA in the immediate period following their baby's death would be helpful.
2. Only 21% of parents themselves requested that an ISIDA parent contact them at this time.

   Parents' general comments were that they found it too difficult at the time of their baby's death to make the contact, but would have welcomed contact.

3. 93% of parents requested to be placed on ISIDA's mailing list to avail of
   • support services;
   • information services;
   • research updates.
4. 60% of parents who took part in the survey requested toavail of ISIDA's befriending services.

43% of families received ISIDA'sbooklet of information on SIDS and bereavement entitled 'A Precious Past, A Hopeful Future' solely from the National Sudden Infant Death Register.