04-03-2025
Parents advocate for child bereavement leave
BOSTON (WWLP) – Families of children who died from Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood gathered at the State House to advocate for parental bereavement leave.
Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is the fifth most common cause of death in children between one and two years old. In these cases, most often a seemingly healthy child goes to sleep and never wakes up.
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One in 100,000 children die from SUDC, but there is no way to predict or prevent it and it does not receive any federal research funding. Advocates are working to pass a law that would allow parents to take 10 days of bereavement leave following the death of a child, regardless of their workplace's policy.
Erin Bowen is a pediatrician who lost her son, Conor, when he was just 17 months old.
'Families need support from everyone, including the knowledge that their job is preserved and that they have the ability to have some time off,' said Bowen, who serves as the Vice President of the SUDC Foundation.
A Westford representative is leading the charge for this bill, and he told 22News that it is simply the right thing to do.
'It's a very difficult situation, obviously, dealing with the loss of a child,' said Representative James Arciero. 'As a father myself, it's heartbreaking and unimaginable,'
SUDC is not as common as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and lawmakers and advocates say a large part of their work centers on raising awareness about the issue and resources available to grieving families.
Affected parents said they are advocating for this goal now, during Sudden Death in Childhood Awareness Month, to ease other parents' pain should they lose a child.
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