SIDS: Utah: American Indian babies

heather may Feb 13, 2011 

Utahns are helping develop a campaign to improve the health of American Indian babies and mothers.

As part of a national effort to reduce infant deaths among the group, American Indian mothers and fathers were invited to the Indian Walk-In Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday to brainstorm effective and culturally appropriate ways to promote healthy pregnancies and babies.

“We wanted to get perspectives from American-Indian parents about infant mortality, what a healthy baby means to them, what a safe baby means to them,” said Leanna Vankeuren, the center’s health program manager.

The Utah center, along with groups in Detroit, Sacramento and Seattle, were given a grant by the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) to help develop and pilot a communications campaign to raise awareness about infant mortality and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

American Indians living in urban areas have a higher infant death rate (8.1 per 1,000 live births) compared to all races in urban areas (6 per 1,000 births), according to the UIHI.

American-Indian babies are more likely than babies of other races to die of congenital anomalies, SIDS and unintentional injuries.

And American-Indian mothers have higher rates of the factors that put them at risk of having a child die: Being a teenage mother, being unmarried, receiving little or no prenatal care and consuming alcohol or smoking while pregnant.

The Indian Walk-In Center interviewed five mothers as part of its Saturday focus group, Vankeuren said.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51235630-76/american-indian-babies-campaign.html.csp

SBS" Gorecki, Utah,

CEDAR CITY — An infant police say was shaken and critically injured by his father — now a convicted felon — died two weeks ago after several months on life support.
The death occurred just one day after another Cedar City child died from what police believe is another incidence of child abuse.
The 11-month-old child was just a few months old when his grandmother found him not breathing at his father's Cedar City residence. Police were contacted after she took him to Valley View Medical Center on Dec. 18, with severe internal injuries, which medical experts later concluded was consistent with shaken baby syndrome, according to court documents.

The boy was later flown to Primary Children's Medical Center in critical condition and then placed on life support at South Davis Medical Center in Bountiful, where the child died Sept. 29, according to an obituary published by Southern Utah Mortuary.

Police confirmed the infant was Tayshaun Michael Gorecki.
The boy's father, 25-year-old Andy Gorecki, was arrested for investigation of child abuse in December after police say his story about what happened to the child didn't match injuries. Prosecutors later charged him in the 5th District Court with second-degree felony child abuse, which police say would likely be amended to child abuse homicide.
The Cedar City man pleaded not guilty on Feb. 2 during the arraignment and a jury trial was set for Dec. 9 and 10. As of Oct. 13, new charges had not been filed.
Gorecki, who pleaded guilty to third-degree felony forcible sex abuse in 2006, has remained in the Iron County Jail since his arrest in December.
"Personally, I have a hard time relating to people who can do that," Cedar City Police Sgt. J.R. Robinson said. "This doesn't happen often in Cedar City."
But just last Friday police were forced to handle another child abuse-related homicide.
This time a 24-year-old man was arrested in connection with the death of a 14-month-old child.
Police booked Thomas Harry Canum III into the Iron County Jail for investigation of child abuse homicide. Officers were called to Valley View Medical Center around 6:30 p.m., on Sept. 28, after doctors had started treating the toddler for serious head injuries.
The child was later flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children's Medical Center for emergency surgery but the toddler died during the operation. Police said Canum had been watching the child that night but that his statement was inconsistent with the toddler's injuries. Prosecutors later charged him with first-degree felony child abuse homicide and a preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 3, according to court documents.
In the Tayshaun Gorecki's obituary, family described the child as an "innocent and graceful gift from God, no one can ever replace."
"His presence brought joy and brightness into our lives! We will miss the warmth and peace Tayshaun brought our way. We will forever love and miss you! May you walk with God! Be sweet," it stated.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700073452/Cedar-City-infant-allegedly-critically-injured-by-father-dies.html