Consent for autopsy research for unexpected death in early life.

Research in sudden death in fetuses (stillbirth) and infants (sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS]) is urgently needed, particularly in high-risk populations involving socioeconomic disadvantaged families. Essential to such research is the analysis of fetal and infant tissues at autopsy. Obtaining consent for donating autopsy tissues for research is especially problematic in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations in which mistrust of the medical establishment often exists.