FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: November 24, 2008
Contact:
Marta Pirzadeh
(919) 828-1819
More Than 2,000 "Safe Sleep" Onesies Distributed During SIDS Awareness Month
North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation partners with N.C. hospitals to promote safe sleep practices for newborns and help reduce infant deaths
(Raleigh, NC) – In conjunction with National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month, more than 2,300 "Safe Sleep" onesies were distributed by North Carolina hospitals in the month of October. The program is a partnership with the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation.
Twenty-five hospitals from across the state gave 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 also received a bilingual (Spanish/English) fact sheet with tips for safe sleep as well as other educational material regarding safe sleep practices for their newborn.
SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants from one month to one year of age. According to the N.C. State Center for Health Statistics, the infant death rate in North Carolina increased by five percent in 2007. In addition to SIDS deaths, babies die from accidental suffocation and strangulation.
In an effort to decrease the number of deaths caused by SIDS, N.C. Healthy Start Foundation Infant Safe Sleep Campaign Coordinator, Marta Pirzadeh, conducted training classes to educate hospital staff on safe sleep practices.
“It is important that we reach out to nurses, clinical health providers and other members of the hospital staff about ways to reduce the risk of SIDS,” she said. “Our main focus is for them to become role models when it comes to safe sleep practices.”
The N.C. Healthy Start Foundation partnered with the following hospitals in distributing the “Safe Sleep” onesies:
Ashe Memorial Hospital, Brunswick Hospital, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Chowan Hospital, Cleveland Regional Medical Center, Columbus Regional Healthcare System, Davis Regional Medical Center, Duplin General Hospital, Grace Hospital, Halifax Regional Medical Center, Harris Regional Hospital, High Point Regional Health System, Iredell Medical Hospital, Lenoir Medical Hospital, Lexington Medical Hospital, Morehead Memorial Hospital, Onslow Medical Hospital, Randolph Hospital, Roanoke Chowan Hospital, Rowan Regional Medical Center, Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Wake Med, Wilkes Regional Medical Center, Wilson Medical Center and Womack Army Medical Center.
Participants of the Fall 2008 Hospital Outreach and Partnerships for Education about Infant Safe Sleep (HOPES) include Ashe Memorial Hospital, Halifax Regional Medical Center, Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Wilkes Regional Medical Center and Womack Army Medical Center.
The N.C. Healthy Start Foundation coordinates the N.C. Back to Sleep campaign in collaboration with the N.C. Division of Public Health. For more information about baby safe sleep visit www.NCHealthyStart.org or call 919.828.1819.
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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.
