Recent Wayne County infant deaths were preventable

More than 100 babies in Wayne County didn’t live to see their first birthdays due to sleep-related deaths during a recent three-year span. Had caregivers been educated on safe sleep, those children would be learning to walk and talk and attending preschool today.

During September, nationally designated as Infant Safe Sleep Month, Tomorrow’s Child of Michigan reminds parents and caregivers to protect babies from suffocation and other sleep-related risks.

From 2010 through 2012, 121 Wayne County infants died due to unsafe sleep-related causes, according to the Michigan Public Health Institute, Center for Child and Family Health. Eighty-one of the deaths occurred in Detroit.

“With the Safe Sleep bill passed into law this year in Michigan, a greater number of parents are receiving the vital information they need about safe sleep practices for their newborns,” 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 families cope with loss. “But too many parents still need to change their behavior. The loss of these babies is 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.

“We are striving to save babies’ lives and make Michigan a place for infants to not only survive but thrive,” Scranton stresses. “All babies should always be placed to sleep on their backs, never on their sides or tummies.”

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 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.