safe sleeping tips for your baby and you

[www.BabyRoomToBreathe.org]

May 3, 2010

Give Babies Room to Breathe

DFPS launches ad campaign to prevent infant sleeping deaths

Almost 400 Texas babies die in their sleep each year either suddenly without a clear explanation or due to accidental suffocation or strangulation. Last year, DFPS' Child Protective Services program investigated 167 infant deaths that occurred while the infants slept with adults or older children (see map). So far in 2010, 50 children have died in situations where they were sleeping with adults or other children.

While the exact causes of many of these deaths are unknown, many might have been prevented by simply giving babies "Room to Breathe" when they sleep.

That's why the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is launching a three-month radio and television campaign to educate parents and caregivers about sudden, unexpected infant death and the critical need to always give babies "Room to Breathe."

The English and Spanish language spots will air on stations across the state from May 3-July 31 with the help of the Texas Association of Broadcasters, which is distributing the public service announcements and recruiting member stations to air them. The spots can also be viewed and shared from YouTube or DFPS' new campaign websites, BabyRoomToBreathe.org and BebeEspacioParaRespirar.org, which are also filled with safe sleeping tips and resources in both English and Spanish.

"These spots are real eye openers and deliver a message that every parent, child care worker, or anyone caring for babies needs to hear," said DFPS Commissioner Anne Heiligenstein. "Always give babies room to breathe when they sleep."

To decrease the risk of infant deaths, parents and other caregivers should:

• Always place infants to sleep alone, on their backs, and in a crib or other firm sleeping surface to decrease the risk of sudden, unexpected infant death.
• Never put babies to sleep with soft bedding, pillows, bumper pads, or stuffed animals that may interfere with a baby's ability to breathe.
• Never sleep with their infants while under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or any medications that cause sleepiness as this increases the likelihood of accidental suffocation. The risk of accidental suffocation is also higher when adults are obese or extremely fatigued.
• Never expose an infant to second hand smoke.

                                                                                                                                                                   

Room To Breathe is a project of the Child Care Licensing division of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. To learn about choosing child care, visit Don't Be In The Dark, or visit our main website to Search Texas Child Care.