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
October 5, 2009(Raleigh, NC) – In conjunction with National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month, more than 6,000 "Safe Sleep" onesies will be distributed by North Carolina hospitals in the month of October. Now in its third year, the program is a partnership with the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation designed to promote safe sleep practices for newborns and help reduce infant deaths.
Twenty-nine 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 State Center for Health Statistics, in 2008, the number of infant deaths related to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, (SIDS) increased in North Carolina, accounting for 136 deaths in children less than one year of age. 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, is conducting 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:
Brunswick Hospital, Buncombe County Hospital, Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Carolinas Medical Center (Main, Northeast, Pineville, University), Chowan Hospital, Cleveland Regional Medical Center, Grace Hospital, Haywood Regional, High Point Regional, Iredell Memorial Hospital, Lenoir Memorial Hospital, Maria Parham Medical, Pitt County Memorial, Presbyterian Hospital, Rex Healthcare, Robeson County Health Center, Rowan Regional Medical Center, Southeastern Regional Medical Center, The Birthplace at Gaston Memorial, Thomasville Medical, Wake Med Intensive Care, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Wilson Medical Center and Womack Army Medical Center.
For more information about baby safe sleep visit www.NCHealthyStart.org or call 919.828.1819.
Partial funding for this project was provided by the N.C. Division of Public Health and the CJ Foundation for SIDS. Recognized as one of the largest, leading SIDS organizations in the country, the CJ Foundation for SIDS has provided funding for hospital outreach in North Carolina for three years. 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.
