FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Christine Rogers
(919) 256-9593
Promoting Infant Safe Sleep Practices during SIDS Awareness Month
North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation partners with hospitals across the state
(Raleigh, NC) – In conjunction with National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month, more than 8,000 "Safe Sleep" onesies will be distributed by North Carolina hospitals in the month of October. Now in its fourth year, the program is coordinated by the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation to promote safe sleep practices for newborns and help reduce infant deaths.
Fifty hospitals from across the state will give every baby born in the month of October a onesie with the message "Stomach to Play, Back to Sleep, For Baby's Safe Sleep." Parents will also receive a bilingual (Spanish/English) fact sheet with tips for safe sleep as well as other educational materials regarding safe sleep practices for their newborn.
According to the N.C. State Center for Health Statistics, the number of infant deaths related to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, (SIDS) decreased in North Carolina from 136 deaths in children less than one year of age in 2008 to 98 in 2009. SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants from one month to one year of age. In an effort to decrease the number of deaths caused by SIDS, North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation Infant Safe Sleep Campaign Coordinator, Marta Pirzadeh, conducts training classes to educate hospital staff on safe sleep practices. "It is critical that we continue to reinforce the message about infant safe sleep practices," she said. “"By reaching out to nurses, clinical health providers and other members of the hospital staff we can prepare them to better educate new parents about ways to reduce the risk of SIDS. For twenty years the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation has been at the forefront of this issue and we know education is key to changing attitudes and behavior."
The NC Healthy Start Foundation is partnering with the following hospitals in distributing the "Safe Sleep" onesies:
Ashe Memorial Hospital, Beaufort County Medical Center, Brunswick Hospital, Buncombe County Hospital, Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Cannon Memorial Hospital, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Carteret General Hospital, Carolinas Medical Center (East, Main, Northeast, Pineville, University), Chowan Hospital, Cleveland Regional Medical Center, Columbus Regional Healthcare Systems, Davis Regional Medical Center, Duplin General Hospital, Grace Hospital, Halifax Regional, Harris Regional, Haywood Regional, Heritage, High Point Regional, Iredell Memorial Hospital, Johnston Medical, Lake Normal RMC, Lenoir Memorial Hospital, Lexington Maria Parham Medical, Mission Hospitals, Morehead Memorial, Moses Cone, Nash County, Onslow Memorial, Pitt County Memorial, Presbyterian Hospital, Randolph Hospital, Rex Healthcare, Richmond Memorial, Roanoke Chowan, Robeson County Health Center, Rowan Regional Medical Center, Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Stanley Regional, The Birthplace at Gaston Memorial, Thomasville Medical, UNC Pembroke, Wake Med Intensive Care, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Wilkes Regional, Wilson Medical Center and Womack Army Medical Center.
For more information about baby safe sleep visit www.NCHealthyStart.org or call (919) 828-1819.
Funding for this project was provided by the N.C. Division of Public Health and the CJ Foundation for SIDS. For more information on the CJ Foundation for SIDS, visit www.cjsids.org.
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The N.C. Healthy Start Foundation, a
nonprofit organization established in 1990, conducts
ongoing public education campaigns, advises state and
local policy makers, and provides technical assistance
and professional training focused on reducing infant
death and illness and improving the health of women
and young children in North Carolina.
