SIDS: Sleep-related infant deaths down in county

by Ashley Fullerafuller
September 16, 2010
Infant deaths resulting from sleep-related causes have decreased this year after officials started a new initiative to raise awareness.The Cherokee County Child Fatality Review Committee spurred the creation of the Infant Sleep Safety Program by Cherokee County Safe Kids and the county health department."The numbers were staggering," Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Capt. Chad Arp, a review committee member and coordinator for Safe Kids, said of the number of infants who were dying while sleeping. "That is killing more infants than anything else."The Child Fatality Review Committee, which tracks deaths of all children younger than 18, reported two cases of infants dying in sleep-related incidents in 2003, which rose to five in 2004, two each in 2005 and 2006, six in 2007 and four each in 2008 and 2009. Sleep-related causes of death include asphyxia and sudden unexpected infant death, SUID while co-sleeping, sudden infant death syndrome and entrapment.So far this year, there only has been one such incident, according to Ashley Snow, a county assistant district attorney and a member of the review committee. "We look for trends in the types of fatalities and if prevention efforts are not addressed in out county, we try to implement them," she said of the committee's responsibilities.Arp said the Infant Sleep Safety Program was implemented to address the issue of sleep-related deaths among infants. The initiative, which started last summer, includes a crib distribution program. Free cribs are given to families who can't afford them, and 30 have been distributed so far.Arp said educational material about sleep safety also has been placed in most pediatrician offices in the county."We are raising awareness. That awareness can make a difference," said Arp, who is the county's fire safety educator. "If we keep up what we are doing, we can see a difference in five years." The committee also is making itself visible in the community by appearing at events such as the upcoming Cherokee County Night Out at 5 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the New Life Worship Center at 154 Lakeside Dr. in Canton.Desiree Miller, a baby planner from Towne Lake and founder of www.bottlestobritches.com, said sleep safety is of great concern to the baby care industry."There has been a huge industry-wide effort to get the word out on safe sleeping tips," she said, adding that those tips include placing babies to sleep on their back, keeping cribs free of everything other than the base sheet and a firm mattress. She said safety experts even suggest leaving bumpers and blankets out of the crib. For information about the Infant Sleep Safety Program, call Arp at (770) 721-7808 or e-mail carp@cherokeega.com. http://www.cherokeetribune.com/view/full_story/9536852/article-Sleep-related-infant-deaths-down-in-county?instance=home_news_1st_right

SIDS & SBS: Alabama Infant Mortality

For the second year in a row, 43 infants died in Mobile County before reaching their first birthday, records show. Twelve of the deaths were sleep-related, compared to 16 in 2008. Sleep-related deaths include suffocation when babies are in a bed with a parent or sibling, as well as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Nationally, statistics indicate that sleep-related death rates have fallen significantly since experts began telling parents to let babies sleep only on their backs. Factors such as sharing beds and a lack of circulating air in a baby’s room have both been shown to contribute to such deaths. Instead of sharing a bed, an infant can simply sleep in the same room as the parents, but in a crib, said Tony Bondora, who investigates infant deaths for the local Health Department. Also, he said, parents must make sure that sitters know not to let babies sleep on their stomachs or sides, even if they are just napping. “We are seeing more and more caregivers that are not following the recommendation. The babysitter doesn’t get the message and suddenly you have a very dangerous situation,” said Bondora, who is also coordinator of the Alabama Baby Coalition. New research suggests a great risk of SIDS for infants who are put to sleep on their stomachs after typically sleeping on their backs. “It appears that some infants are predisposed to lower seratonin levels, and that may be related to SIDS deaths,” Bondora said. In Baldwin County in 2009, there were 19 infant deaths, with 16 recorded the previous year, records show. Statewide, there were 513 infant deaths in Alabama in 2009, which meant the state’s infant mortality rate — the number of babies who died during their first year per 1,000 live births — dropped from 9.5 a year earlier to 8.2, according to records. That 8.2 rate was the lowest since the state began keeping such records more than 100 years ago, but was still among the highest in the country. Some factors related to the statewide drop in deaths last year, health officials said, was that fewer women smoked and fewer teenagers gave birth.

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/09/infant_mortality_rate_drops_in.html

SIDS: Georfia cuts neonatal program

September 6, 2010
Alan Mauldin
State funding cuts to a program that provides neonatal care to expectant women mean that more than 100 Colquitt County mothers-to-be will not have the service next year.The elimination of funding, which took effect in June, will not affect women already enrolled in the program, called Babies Born Healthy.Of the 14 counties in the Southwest Public Health District, Colquitt County had the largest enrollment in 2009 with 137 plus an additional 12 in Ellenton, according to figures provided by the agency.Enrollments so far in 2010 total 124.“It was something the state could not help. They just don’t have the money,” said Dr. Jacqueline Grant, Southwest District Health director. “I know they had to weigh this against one of the other children’s programs.”In Colquitt County, the program served between 150 to 200 expectant mothers per year, she said.In 2009, 278 women in the 14-county health district were enrolled in Babies Born Healthy, with Colquitt County accounting for more than half of that total.Georgia has among the highest rates of infant mortality and low birth weight babies in the United States.The state’s infant morality rate improved from 10.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1994 to 8.5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2004, a Georgia Department of Human Resources report said.However, the agency noted that the rate of infant deaths for black babies, at 14 per 1,000 live births in 2004, was double the seven per 1,000 live births for white babies.In 2000, low birth weight accounted for two-thirds of infant deaths, the report said. The second most common cause of infant mortality was birth defects, followed by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. SIDS, fatal injuries and infections also affect black babies at double the frequency of white babies. Babies Born Healthy served 3,509 women across the state in 2009, at a cost of $2.9 million.
http://moultrieobserver.com/local/x373698929/State-cuts-neonatal-program