The following Alert was sent to Healthcare Providers in Anne Arundel County from Anne Arundel County Health Department. Please read and heed!
The Anne Arundel County Department of Health would like to alert health care providers about a recent increase in infant deaths due to accidental suffocation. Since January 2016, there have been four Anne Arundel County infant deaths identified as probable suffocation. All were related to unsafe sleeping practices, including infants sharing a bed and sleeping under piles of blankets.
During the 2015 calendar year, the county had two cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); there were three SIDS cases in 2014. In those years, the deaths were also related to accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed.
Please inform parents, grandparents, babysitters and caregivers of the following:
– While room sharing has benefits, bed sharing can be deadly. Never let your baby sleep or nap with you or other people on a bed, sofa, chair or other place, even for brief periods.
– Sleeping on the back is the safest for a baby. Tummy or side sleeping can be dangerous.
– Don’t put fluffy, loose bedding, soft toys or plastic bags in the baby’s crib. Use a firm mattress covered by a well-fitting crib sheet. Don’t let your baby get too hot. Try a one-piece sleeper or a sleep sack to prevent overheating.
Remind them of the ABCs of safe sleeping. Children under the age of 1 should sleep Alone on their Backs in a safe Crib.
For more information, read A Letter to Pediatricians and Obstetricians About SIDS.
Anne Arundel County patients and child care providers can visit www.aahealthybabies.org or call 410-222-7223 for helpful infant care materials.