In Idaho, failed effort to create state team to review child deaths

Idaho remains the only state in the country that doesn't give special attention to the deaths of children following the collapse this week of a reform bill in the legislature.A measure creating an Idaho Child Mortality Prevention Team to probe the "sudden, unexpected and unexplained" deaths of young persons up to age 18 passed 63-5 in the Idaho House on March 17. But state senators this week let the bill die in committee without a floor vote."There were concerns about how much intrusiveness such a board could use when going to the families after a child's death," said Republican state Sen. Denton Darrington, a key opponent of the measure. "We were concerned about the personal liberties of the families."Darrington said Idaho authorities could use research on child deaths in other states rather than create a new program, which was expected to cost $43,000 a year. "Just because other states do this doesn't compel us to do it," he said.First begun in Los Angeles more than 30 years ago, child-death review teams have been widely praised for detecting overlooked child homicides and for identifying public-safety threats such as poorly designed storm sewers that caused the drowning deaths of several Midwestern youths in the 1980s.A Scripps Howard News Service study of child mortality records found that states with aggressive local and statewide review programs for child deaths identify 20 percent more infant homicides and double the number of accidental deaths than do less watchful states.Most unexpected infant deaths in Idaho are blamed on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the study found. But states with review programs are much more likely to identify other causes of death, especially accidental suffocation from improper bedding."Here in Idaho there is a belief that government shouldn't be involved in families," said Democratic state Rep. Margaret Henbest, a sponsor of the bill. "When it comes to the death of children because of abuse and neglect, most people find it difficult to confront that this sort of thing happens here even in their own communities."She said opponents feared the law could "change the Idaho way of life for children" by banning outdoor swimming or riding all-terrain vehicles. Proponents vowed to try again in a future session with an education campaign advising lawmakers about the bill's intent."I think this issue is too important for the children of Idaho to abandon them at this time," said Boise attorney Kirtlan Naylor, chairman of the Idaho Children at Risk Task Force. "Whatever we can learn that may protect our children is worth us taking the time and attention to do it."Idaho disbanded a previous Child Death Review Team in 2002 because the group lacked legal authority to obtain health and police records of deceased children. Without specific legislative authority, the group was running afoul of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 requiring confidentiality for most personal health records.(Contact the reporters at hargrovet(at)shns.com and bowmanl(at)shns.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)