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Published October 15, 2008 06:21 pm - Those fuzzy blankets and stuffed animals in your infant’s crib could be a hazard. During the cooler months of fall and winter, more infants will die because of sleep-related suffocation, according to SIDS Resources Inc. Get 'Back to Sleep': Experts say that parents need to be aware of proper sleeping techniques Experts: Parents need to be aware of proper sleeping techniques
By Jessica Schreindl news@joplinglobe.com Those fuzzy blankets and stuffed animals in your infant’s crib could be a hazard. During the cooler months of fall and winter, more infants will die because of sleep-related suffocation, according to SIDS Resources Inc. Dr. Frederic Wheeler, a Joplin pediatrician, said this is becaues of parents using heavy blankets and quilts in children’s cribs to keep them warm. “If you’ve got indoor heat, you don’t want to use quilts,” Wheeler said. “And bumper pads are a real hazard; they are going to cause real problems.” Preventable deaths Sleep-related suffocation among infants has increased in recent years. According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, more than 600 babies born in Missouri in 2007 will not celebrate their first birthdays. However, most of these deaths are preventable, according Wheeler. Wheeler stressed the importance of “Back to Sleep” as another way to prevent suffocation. “Back to Sleep” is a campaign that promotes placing babies on their backs to sleep. SIDS Resources recommends placing a baby on his or her back on a firm, flat mattress. “Back in 1996, we ‘discovered’ the fact that babies should sleep on their backs,” Wheeler said. “So for about 10 years, we’ve seen a decrease in SIDS.” But according to Wheeler, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has been on the rise in recent years. “I think the reason SIDS has increased is that people aren’t talking about ‘Back to Sleep’ to the new parents,” he said. Shannon Murphey, director of La Petite Academy, 2002 E 32nd St., said she has also noticed a decrease in the conversation about “Back to Sleep.” “Most of our parents are aware of the proper sleeping techniques,” she said, “but I have seen a decrease in the media attention.” Murphey practices “Back to Sleep” with her own children as well as at the academy. 
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