The leading causes of death in babies from one month to 12 months are sleep-related infant deaths, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation, and strangulation in bed. A safe sleep environment can reduce the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths.
African American babies are more than two times as likely to die of SIDS as white babies. American Indian/Alaskan Native babies are nearly three times as likely to die of SIDS as white babies. Listed below are examples of ways babies in Oklahoma have died after being put down to sleep in an unsafe space:
To reduce sleep-related infant deaths, the Oklahoma State Department of Health encourages using safe sleep recommendations listed.
Safe Sleep Tips to Reduce the Risk of SIDs
For more information, go to Safe to Sleep for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development website of interactive resources, brochures, and other educational materials.
Perinatal loss is most often defined as, "A relatively common occurrence which refers to the death of an infant due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death."
Below are resources for grief support in Oklahoma:
Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area
Tulsa Metropolitan Area
Compassionate Friends-Online Support
Norman Area
Grief Share Recovery Support Groups
Oklahoma City Area
Oklahoma Family Network Contact Joni Bruce at (405) 271-5072 or toll free at (877) 871-5072 Offering one-on-one mentoring for families who’ve experienced the loss of an infant or child. P.R.I.D.E. (Parents Responding to the Infant Death Experience) Norman Regional Healthplex Offering support to those who have lost a child during pregnancy or in the first year of life. Call (405) 613-6642, or email nrhspride@nrh-ok.com GriefShare is a special support group for people who are grieving the death of someone close to them. Several churches throughout the Norman area offer a GriefShare group. Contact the church for group days and times. Crosspoint Church SE 24th and Hwy 9 Contact Mike Garner at (405) 307-1038 Contact the Church at (405) 329-0823 Journey Church I-35 and Tecumseh Road Contact Allen Sample at (405) 217-8700 First Baptist Church 301 Ne 27th, Norman Contact Linda Miller at (405) 793-2600 Alameda Church of Christ 801 East Alameda Norman, 73071 Randy Hendrix, Counselor (405) 321-0788 Meets Wednesdays at 6:30 PM. There are many Internet resources available to people who are experiencing the pain and sorrow of grief in their lives. Here are a few; you may find others by searching online.
Free help to quit smoking is available in Oklahoma! Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669).
If you smoke cigarettes, you are not alone. One in four women in Oklahoma smoke cigarettes.
Babies whose mothers smoke during pregnancy are 2-3 times at higher risk for SIDS, despite the birth weight of the baby. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Studies show a baby exposed to secondhand smoke after birth is also at increased risk for SIDS and other respiratory illness. This risk increases with either the number of cigarettes smoked by the parents near the baby or the number of hours the infant spends in the presence of smokers.
If you are pregnant, may become pregnant or have a baby, quitting smoking and not allowing your baby to be near cigarette smoke are the best gifts you can give yourself and your child. Eliminate cigarette smoke from your baby’s life today.
Source: The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Supervised "Tummy Time" with babies while they are awake allows babies to strengthen their muscles and develop normally.
Because of recommendations for babies not to sleep on their tummies, infants are losing approximately 12 hours of "tummy time" during the day. Many infants also spend long hours in swings, car and infant seats when awake. These practices result in some infants developing motor delays.
"Tummy Time" helps infants:
Sources:
James Craig, MSW, LCSW Public Health Social Work Coordinator
Mailing Address: Oklahoma State Department of Health Maternal and Child Health Service 123 Robert S. Kerr Ave, Ste. 1702 Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406
Physical Address: Oklahoma State Department of Health Maternal and Child Health Service 123 Robert S. Kerr Ave Oklahoma City, OK
Phone: (405) 426-8084