NAN A. S. HAYWORTH: “I rise tonight to speak of another concern shared by all Americans, but especially the first Americans. That would be…”

“I rise tonight to speak of another concern shared by all Americans, but especially the first Americans. That would be SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. SIDS can happen to any family and is one of the major causes of death in babies from 1 month to 1 year of age. SIDS is used to describe the unexplained death of an infant, and the cause of this condition is not known at this time. Researchers continue to investigate this mysterious and tragic syndrome. Congress has a special trust responsibility to assure the highest possible health status for Native Americans. Despite this trust responsibility, Native Americans and Alaska natives continue to bear a disproportionate burden of illness and premature mortality in comparison with other populations in the United States. I am extremely concerned about SIDS because this tragic syndrome is the leading cause of infant mortality among Native Americans and Alaska natives.”