SIDS Support for Families

Support for New Jersey Families After the Sudden Loss of an Infant

There are no words that can fully express the heartbreak of losing a baby. If your family has experienced the sudden, unexpected death of an infant, please know that you are not alone. The grief can feel isolating, but compassionate help is available right here in New Jersey.

The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Center of New Jersey (SCNJ) exists to support families through their loss, connect them with meaningful resources, and help advance understanding of why these tragedies occur. With dedicated teams at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the SCNJ is here to walk beside you in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

About the SIDS Center of New Jersey

The SCNJ is a statewide program with three core goals:

• Support for Families: Offering grief counseling and guidance to families who have experienced the sudden and unexpected loss of an infant.
• Research and Prevention: Advancing efforts to better understand the causes of SIDS and improve prevention strategies.
• Public Health Education: Providing safe sleep education and resources to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths.
  • View Safe Sleep Resources

Personalized Grief and Family Support

Within 24 hours of clearance from the Medical Examiner's Office, referred families are contacted by a licensed clinical social worker who offers culturally and linguistically appropriate grief support. Services are personalized and designed to meet each family's emotional, spiritual, and practical needs.

Additional support includes:

• A 24/7 SIDS support hotline: 1-800-545-7437
• Help understanding the autopsy and next steps
• Clergy and spiritual support, available upon request
• Annual statewide memorial services held each May, July, and November
• Connection to community-based support and educational resources