Parkview Hospital Raises Awareness Concerning Infant Suffocation

Its been common practice for parents to wrap their newborns in blankets. But now local experts are saying that practice is unsafe and has lead to many deaths right here in Allen County over the past few years. Cecilia Perez is the proud new mom of a baby boy. He is currently sleeping soundly in Parkview Hospitals new sleep sacks. “Its great it just velcros on, doesnt move, and doesnt come undone” says Perez. The hospital introduced the sleep sacks this year, bringing a problem here in Allen County into the spotlight. Accidental suffocation of infants is the number one killer of infants in Allen County. Parkview Hospital’s Connie Kerrigan helped get the initiative “Safe Slumber” started. She says that close to 14 children in the past two years have been killed because of this. “Loose blankets can actually pose a hazard to a baby allowing carbon dioxide to gather around the face” says Kerrigan. The infant then might stop breathing. Perez was prepped about safe sleeping practices and some parts came as a surprise to her. “I didnt really think about it before. Its so common to see babies wrapped up in blankets. You never thought of it as a risk” says Perez. “Its a big shock for parents because this is new information." Another common mistake new parents make is sleeping with their infant. “Its very common for a new parent to get too close to their child and dont know when its too close” says Kerrigan. To be safe, place your child in a crib on his or her back. “I never want a parent to lose a child from something thats preventable thats why its so important” adds Kerrigan. Parkview Hospital is also now offering cribs to those in need. This is part of a national “Cribs for Kids” program. If youd like to find out more information on this program or see if you qualify call (260) 373-6830.