Safe Sleep Month focuses on preventing infant deaths in Genesee County

September is Safe Sleep Awareness Month, and Tomorrow’s Child of Michigan is continuing education efforts in Genesee County designed to remind parents and caregivers of techniques that have helped substantially reduce the infant death rate in Michigan.

According to the Michigan Public Health Institute, Center for Child and Family Health, from 2010 to 2012 there were 27 sleep-related infant deaths in Genesee County.

“Although we have made great strides in reducing the number of preventable infant deaths in Michigan, more work remains,” says Sarah Scranton, CEO of Tomorrow’s Child, a statewide advocacy and support organization that works to reduce Michigan’s infant mortality rate and help parents and families cope with the loss of an infant. “As a longtime maternal and child health advocate and, most important, a mother, I find the loss of these babies to unsafe sleep environments to be a tragedy, particularly since such deaths are 100 percent preventable.”

After years of significant decline, Michigan’s rate has held relatively steady since 2003, indicating that not all parents and caregivers are getting the message about safe sleep practices.

“By eliminating just the unsafe sleep deaths, we could bring Michigan’s infant mortality rate below the national average,” says Scranton. “This is a critical goal, but more important, we are striving to save babies’ lives and make Michigan a place for infants to not only survive but thrive.

“All babies should always be placed to sleep on their backs, never on their sides or tummies,” Scranton stresses.

Other lifesaving steps parents and caregivers can take to protect their baby include:

§ Never put the baby to sleep with adults or other children, as the practice exponentially increases the chance of a tragedy occurring.

§ Put babies in cribs of their own, never on adult beds, pillows or couches.

§ Use a firm mattress with a tightly fitted sheet.

§ Ensure that the crib does not contain extraneous items -- including pillows, crib bumpers and stuffed animals – and use a safe sleep sack instead of blankets.

§ Do not overheat the baby’s room.

§ Make certain that no one smokes around baby.

Tomorrow’s Child of Michigan was founded in 1994 to support parents and families coping with the loss of an infant. The organization works to prevent future infant deaths and reduce Michigan’s infant mortality rate. More information on safe sleep practices and infant mortality are available on the Tomorrow’s Child website, www.tomorrowschildmi.org.