Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus and Commissioner of Social Services Robert Allers have announced Dutchess County has joined with the New York State Office of Children & Family Services to stop a preventable crisis: infants dying when sharing a bed with an adult.

“There have been nearly 90 babies and small children who have died in New York State since 2006 as a result of co-sleeping with a parent, sibling, or caregiver, and those only included the reported cases,” said County Executive Steinhaus.   “Our goal is to educate caregivers to save children’s lives.”

Co-sleeping is risky. If an adult or child rolls over on a baby, the baby can be hurt or even suffocated.  The danger is further increased if the parent or caregiver has been drinking,  has been using drugs, is overweight, or sleeps on a couch.  For parents who wish to keep babies close, it is recommended to the baby in a crib or bassinet near the parent’s bed.

The Office of Children and Families estimates co-sleeping is involved in approximately 20 percent of the child fatalities reported to the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment.

• Three-quarters of the children in co-sleeping incidents were newborn to three months old.
• Adult co-sleepers involved in these incidents were most likely to be the child’s mothers, age 18 to 24 years old.
• Nearly 40 percent of these co-sleeping incidents occurred on the weekend.

To prevent further fatalities, Dutchess County has partnered with other counties throughout New York in a statewide public education campaign to get out the message … “BABIES SLEEP SAFEST ALONE.”

Social Services Commissioner Robert Allers said: “These deaths cross cultural, racial, ethnic, and economic demographics.  Educating caregivers about the risk of co-sleeping is the key to avoiding future tragedies.”

Babies are safest when they sleep alone.   Parents and caregivers should take these steps to keep babies safe:

• Put baby to sleep on his back to greatly reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Make sure crib has a firm mattress that fits snugly with no space between the mattress and the side of the crib, so the baby cannot be trapped.
• Keep baby’s crib free of pillows, bumpers, fluffy quilts and stuffed toys.   Keep blankets away from baby’s head.
• Never put a baby to sleep on an adult bed, sofa, sheepskin, or other soft mattress – even for a nap.
• If you don’t have a crib, put baby to sleep in a firm, enclosed space, such as a playpen or stroller, with no loose bedding or pillows.
• Don’t let your baby get too warm.   Keep the room temperature between 65 and 70 degrees.

For more information on this education campaign, visit http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/babiessleepsafestalone/default.htm.