14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Safe Sleeping Habits for Infants
Reporter: Shannon Samson
New Media Producer: Rachel Chambliss
Another child dies in his sleep, and it's a tragic wake-up call for parents.
An autopsy determined the Evansville boy, 4-month-old Trevon Woodruff, died from positional asphyxia. This is the sixth case of an infant dying from unsafe sleeping practices in the Tri-State.
Despite a number of outreach programs, authorities believe many parents aren't getting the message about putting infants only in their cribs and only on their backs.
Investigators say James Woodruff woke up at his home Monday morning to discover his infant son lying face down and not breathing. The baby and his mom, Jackquest Mason of Providence KY, had been visiting for the holiday.
Deputy coroner Annie Groves says, "She fed the baby, laid the baby in a recliner, and the baby got wedged in the back of a recliner, and asphyxiated due to being wedged. Its little mouth and nose were covered by the cushions."
Public health nurse Andrea Baltzell has seen the haunting image of a baby who suffocated in a similar way. That's why she's committed to teaching parents about safe sleeping practices.
She instructs, "When we put the baby in, we want her on her back."
They need to go in a crib that doesn't move or shake, with bars no more than two 3/8 inches apart. If a soda can fits through them, they're too wide. The crib should have a fitted sheet on it and nothing else - no toys, bumper pads or blankets.
"Babies can also grab a hold of a blanket, pull it up over their heads, and suffocate that way," warns Baltzell.
When babies are old enough to roll over, they're old enough to pull a blanket off them. Until then, Baltzell says these rules of safe sleeping have to be practiced every night.
She says, "You just can't say it enough. You've got to put these babies on their backs to sleep."
It's not a matter of convenience, it's a matter of life and death!
The Vanderburgh County Health Department has an emergency crib program, but currently only has two cribs left to give away. The program is in need of donations.
