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Scotland County child-fatality review finds unsafe infant-sleep practices, calls for better records and cross-agency training
Summary
Local child-fatality review team reported three reviewed deaths from 2024 and four multidisciplinary meetings in 2025, citing unsafe infant-sleep practices and documentation gaps; the board asked for the team membership list to be provided at a future meeting.
Wendy Stanton, director of the Department of Social Services, and Sheri Duncan, director of nursing at the county health department, presented the Scotland County Local Child Fatality Prevention Team annual report to the Board of Commissioners on June 1.
Duncan said the team completed four multi-disciplinary meetings in 2025 and fully reviewed four cases that were submitted to the state. She said the Local Review Team completed reviews for three fatalities that occurred during calendar year 2024. The presenters identified recurring system gaps including unsafe infant-sleep practices, incomplete documentation during reviews, delays in obtaining records, and inconsistent multi-agency participation.
"Two of these infants had fractured skulls, hemorrhaging on the brain, bruising around the neck," Duncan said, noting discrepancies between autopsy findings and final mortality determinations in some cases. She recommended continued community education about safe sleep, improved documentation and record retention, cross‑agency training on child-death investigation and injury interpretation, and administrative support for meeting continuity.
Vice Chair O'Neal and other commissioners asked whether Pack 'n' Plays or cribs were available to families; Duncan confirmed Pack 'n' Plays are distributed at no cost through clinic programs and the health department provides education to parents. County Manager Snead clarified that some programs require participants to complete an education piece to receive equipment.
The board discussed approving the team membership list; county staff agreed to re-circulate the list because some commissioners did not have it in the meeting packet and the item was tabled for a future meeting.
Why it matters: The report links preventable infant-sleep risks and cross-agency documentation shortfalls to county prevention efforts. Commissioners urged broader public education and better data sharing among health, social services, emergency responders and child-protection partners.
What comes next: Planning and Health Department staff said they will increase outreach about safe-sleep programs and bring the membership list back to the board for formal approval.
