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Community Education is key to preventing Infant Deaths

October is SIDS Awareness Month

Tennessee Department of HealthNashville, TN – The number of deaths attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, is declining in Tennessee. But while SIDS cases have decreased, other sleep-related deaths are on the rise in the state. During National SIDS Awareness Month this October, the Department of Health is encouraging all Tennesseans to focus on safe sleep practices as an important strategy for reducing infant mortality in Tennessee.

“Lowering the number of infant deaths in Tennessee is no simple task, but eliminating these cases of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths can make a substantial impact on our infant mortality rate,” said Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH.

Despite the decrease in SIDS cases, other sleep-related deaths are on the rise among Tennessee infants. In 2009, 142 sleep-related infant deaths occurred in Tennessee. Causes include suffocation, such as when an adult rolls over on an infant or an infant is smothered by pillows or blankets. According to the most recent statewide Child Fatality Review, only 20 infant deaths in Tennessee were due to SIDS in 2009, compared to 40 in 2006.

A death can be attributed to SIDS only after an autopsy, thorough death scene investigation and review of the medical history reveal no specific cause for the infant’s death. For example, death ruled due to suffocation during sleep would be a sleep-related death but would not be counted as a SIDS death.

“We hope all Tennesseans remember the ‘ABCs of Safe Sleep’,” said Michael D. Warren, MD, MPH, director of Maternal and Child Health with the Tennessee Department of Health. “Infants should sleep Alone, on their Back and in a Crib. Parents need to make sure they follow these simple rules and share this information with other people who may be putting infants down to sleep, including grandparents and other relatives.”

Safe sleep practices can prevent SIDS and other sleep-related deaths. The Tennessee Department of Health promotes the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations that infants should:

  • Always be placed on their backs to sleep
  • Sleep alone in a crib or bassinet, although the crib or bassinet can be in the same room as an adult caregiver
  • Not have bumper pads, blankets, stuffed animals, toys or pets in their cribs
  • Sleep on a firm crib mattress with the mattress covered only by a fitted sheet

The Tennessee Department of Health offers counseling and referral services for families who have experienced the loss of a child to SIDS. For more information, visit the department’s website.

For more information about safe sleep practices for infants and reducing the risk of SIDS go here.

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