Press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: September 10, 2007
Contact:
Vivian Muzyk
(919) 828-1819

Lexington Memorial to Give Safe Sleep Onesies to All Babies Born in Hospital in October

Partnership with N.C Healthy Start Foundation during SIDS Awareness Month

(Raleigh, NC) – Lexington Memorial Hospital and the
North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation will partner to
give onesies (baby garments) to every baby born in Lexington Memorial Hospital in October for National
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month. Each Onesie has an attractive, but clear, safe sleep
message "Stomach to Play, Back to Sleep, For Baby'’s Safe Sleep."

SIDS is the third leading cause of infant death across
North Carolina. From 2001 - 2005, 15 babies died of SIDS in Davidson County (1.6 per 1,000 live births), giving the county one of the five highest SIDS rates in the state according to the NC State Center for Health Statistics.  In 2005 alone, seven Davidson County infants died of SIDS.

In addition to SIDS deaths, from 2001 - 2005, 79 babies died in North Carolina from accidental suffocation and strangulation. A growing number of these preventable deaths are related to excess bedding and parents
sleeping with their babies, according to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

To help teach parents about the safest ways for their babies to sleep, the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation, which coordinates the NC Back to Sleep campaign in collaboration with the NC Division of Public Health, will send 70 onesies to Lexington Memorial Hospital for the anticipated births in October. Tucked inside each garment is a bilingual (Spanish/English) fact sheet with tips for safe sleep to reduce the risks of SIDS and accidental suffocation and strangulation in the sleep environment.

Safe sleep tips for new parents include:

• Put your baby on the back to sleep for naps and
  at night
• Use a firm mattress for baby's crib
• Keep pillows, comforters and soft blankets, stuffed animals and  toys out of the crib
• Baby should sleep in his or her own crib
• Do not let anyone smoke near your baby
• Breastfeed your baby
• Keep baby and the room temperature comfortable (68˚ - 75˚F) – not too hot

Margie Kondo, Director of Obstetrical Services for Lexington Memorial Hospital, arranged for the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation to provide a training on Tuesday, Sept. 11 for the nursery nursing staff and all interested hospital employees to reinforce safe sleep practices.
Christine O’Meara, the N.C. Back to Sleep campaign coordinator, will conduct the training and deliver the onesies.

"Safe sleep education, even before a baby is born, is crucial," says O’Meara. "We are thrilled that new parents will leave Lexington Memorial Hospital with information to help their babies sleep safely once they get home."

The North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation, a non-profit devoted to reducing infant death and improving women's health, is partnering with four additional hospitals in counties that have experienced high SIDS rates: Cleveland Regional Medical Center, Rowan Regional Medical Center, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and Onslow Memorial Hospital. In total, more than 800 babies are expected to leave hospitals with these fashionable one-pieces that truly make a statement. Organizations interested in supporting this project can contact the Foundation at 919-828-1819. For more information about baby safe sleep visit www.NCHealthyStart.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 N.C.

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