148 investigations for child sleep-related deaths between 2009 and 2014
On behalf of Illinois DCFS, I would like to invite you to cover our Safe Sleep event at University of Chicago this Wednesday, October 14 at 10:00 a.m.
Between 2009 and 2014, Illinois lost 148 children to sleep related deaths. The very saddest part of this statistic is that each one of those deaths was preventable.
As you may already know, October is “Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month in Illinois and throughout the U.S.A. To this end, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the University of Chicago Medicine are joining forces to help prevent sleep-related infant deaths.
We are inviting new and expectant mothers to learn how to protect their babies from the dangers of unsafe sleep. The average age for this type of incident is 72 days old. Sleep-related infant deaths can be prevented. We want the public to learn how to keep your baby safe.
The event will be interactive with demonstrations in a “real-home-like” setting at the Ronald McDonald House located on U of C’s campus. The visuals, we will show a group of new mothers how to properly dress a baby for sleep and how to place the child in a crib that has been set up appropriately. Medical staff will recap the ABCs of Safe Sleep: Alone, on the Back and in a safe Crib; describe five high-risk behaviors that may seem safe but aren’t and provide local and web-based resources available to parents. Our DCFS director, George H. Sheldon will be there as well. Below is the who, what, where, when, why. I have yet to write the press advisory so I hope you don’t mind me putting this in a regular email.
Goal:
Prevent infant deaths due to unsafe sleep practices by providing practical examples of safe sleep practices tips and raising awareness at the community level. Leverage the national October Safe Sleep Awareness Month campaign and Gov. Rauner’s proclamation for Illinois to educate Chicago families and break through myths and cultural tendencies that could put infants at risk.
