Close X
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
ADVT 
National

Baby's Death Tied To 'Unsafe Sleep Situation' Prompts Call For Warning

The Canadian Press, 16 Feb, 2018 01:23 PM
    FREDERICTON — The death of a three-month-old New Brunswick boy has prompted a call for a campaign warning the public about the dangers of unsafe sleeping arrangements for babies.
     
    The coroner determined the infant, who was receiving child protection services, died accidentally of "asphyxiation secondary to an unsafe sleep situation."
     
    The boy's death was revealed in a report from the province's Child Review Death Committee, although no further details were released.
     
    But the review committee says current printed material about the dangers of bed-sharing and use of inappropriate sleep surfaces is not doing enough to prevent child deaths.
     
    It urges the chief medical officer of health to consider a public awareness campaign that could include radio and TV ads. 
     
    The issue of bed-sharing or co-sleeping has been a matter of debate for years.
     
    "The safest place for your baby to sleep or nap is in a crib, cradle or bassinet that meets current Canadian safety regulations," said Rebecca Purdy, a spokeswoman for the Public Health Agency of Canada.
     
    "When babies sleep in places that are not made for them, such as an adult bed, sofa or armchair, they can become trapped and suffocate," she said.
     
    Some parents and advocates like Dr. William Sears, an American pediatrician, talk up the benefits of bed-sharing or co-sleeping with the infant in the parents' bed.
     
     
     
    "An infant and mother sleeping side by side share lots of interactions that are safe and healthy," he writes on his website.
     
    "Sleep-sharing infants tended to sleep more often on their backs or sides and less often on their tummies, a factor that could itself lower the SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) risk," he wrote.
     
    But Purdy said the risk of suffocation is higher if a baby shares the same sleep surface with an adult or another child.
     
    "The risk is even higher for babies less than four months old," she said.
     
    Instead, she said placing your baby in a crib, cradle or bassinet next to your bed lowers the risk of SIDS.
     
    Purdy said the best sleep environment for a baby is a firm mattress with a fitted sheet.
     
    "Soft bedding, such as pillows, comforters, quilts and bumper pads, can increase the risk of suffocation," she said.
     
    The Canadian Pediatric Society also warns against co-sleeping, saying babies should sleep alone in a crib.
     
    On its website, the society says cribs made before 1986 or those without a Canada Safety Association label are not safe to use. It adds that adult beds, armchairs, waterbeds, couches, daybeds or any "make-shift" bed are not safe places for a baby to sleep.
     
     
     
     
    It says car seats are important safety devices for travel, but when you get home, always put your baby to sleep on his or her back in the crib.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Halifax Man Jailed After Forcing Woman Into Prostitution, Denying Her Food

    HALIFAX — A Halifax man who pushed a young woman back into prostitution, and admitted threatening to chop her up and serve her at a dinner party, has been sentenced to 16 months in jail.

    Halifax Man Jailed After Forcing Woman Into Prostitution, Denying Her Food

    'Racist' Posters Removed From University Of New Brunswick Campus

    'Racist' Posters Removed From University Of New Brunswick Campus
    FREDERICTON — Posters featuring a "racist and bigoted" message have been removed from a number of buildings on the University of New Brunswick campus in Fredericton.

    'Racist' Posters Removed From University Of New Brunswick Campus

    Woman's Body Switched At Funeral Home, Accidentally Cremated: Grieving Family

    Woman's Body Switched At Funeral Home, Accidentally Cremated: Grieving Family
    A Nova Scotia regulator is investigating a bizarre mix-up at a funeral home that provided two wrong bodies to a grieving family before realizing their loved one had accidentally been cremated.

    Woman's Body Switched At Funeral Home, Accidentally Cremated: Grieving Family

    Bank Of Canada Hikes Interest Rate To 1.25%, Cites Strong Economic Data

    Bank Of Canada Hikes Interest Rate To 1.25%, Cites Strong Economic Data
    Recent Data Have Been Strong, Inflation Is Close To Target, And The Economy Is Operating Roughly At Capacity

    Bank Of Canada Hikes Interest Rate To 1.25%, Cites Strong Economic Data

    Body Found In Trunk Of Charred Car Near Trail Considered Suspicious

    Body Found In Trunk Of Charred Car Near Trail Considered Suspicious
    TRAIL, B.C. — RCMP say a body has been found inside the trunk of a burnt out and abandoned car just north of Trail, B.C.

    Body Found In Trunk Of Charred Car Near Trail Considered Suspicious

    Michelle Obama To Hold Second Speaking Event In Vancouver, First Sold Out

    VANCOUVER — Michelle Obama will be doubling up on her speaking engagements in Vancouver next month after tickets to her first keynote address were quickly snapped up.

    Michelle Obama To Hold Second Speaking Event In Vancouver, First Sold Out