Warning to parents after baby boy suffocated to death with pillow while sleeping
A BROKEN-HEARTED mum is warning of the hidden dangers of ‘unsafe sleep’ after her tiny baby suffocated to death in bed.
Alexandria Bowerman, 23, had dropped her two months old off at a family member’s house for the night so she could have some “time to recharge”.
The new mum from Tennessee, US, made sure her “healthy” baby Derrick Stone had everything he would need for a night away from her – which included his safe sleep cot.
But less than 12 hours late on the morning of January 1 2021, Alexandria received a devastating phone call telling her little Derrick had suffocated during the night while sleeping.
“I was in shock – my world was shattered,” the hospitality worker said.
“I was sure that the ambulance was going to get him and take him to the hospital and revive him,” she recalled.
But the fire department had already determined that baby had no pulse and had decided not to call for an ambulance.
Two months later, investigators revealed that baby had died due to unsafe sleeping practices.
“He was not laid down to sleep safely, he was placed in an adult-sized bed with his head on a pillow,” Alexandria explained.
“A pillow is already a risk for suffocation, but it caused him to roll over in his sleep and then he suffocated on the adult mattress,” she added.
About 3,400 babies in the US die of sudden infant death (SIDS) – also known as cot death – each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the cause of death is not always clear and often cannot be prevented, at least 905 of those deaths were attributed to accidental suffocation in 2020.
In the UK, around 200 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every year, according to the NHS.
Recent research found three in five British parents had not been tutored on how to reduce cot death risk.
The young mum hopes by sharing her story she will help to educate others about safe sleep practices, and encourage other mum’s to speak up about their needs.
“I’ve definitely accepted it for what it is and I’ve put my grief in places now that I know it’s productive,” she said.
Alexandria now attends monthly meetings with the local health department on infant loss cases and infant mortality rates.
“My advice to others would be to become aware of safe sleep early on. Learn the ‘ABC’ of safe sleep which is: Alone, on their Back, and in their own Crib.
She added: “If anyone is going to be caregiving, babysitting, or even really holding your child, it doesn’t matter the age, they need to be aware of what safe sleep looks like.
“They need to know how to practise it so that nothing happens.”
How to reduce the chance of SIDS
This is what you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS, according to the NHS
- place your baby on their back to sleep, in the same room as you, for the first 6 months
- keep your baby’s head uncovered – their blanket should be tucked in no higher than their shoulders
- if wearing your baby in a sling or carrier, do not cover their head with the sling material or with a muslin
- place your baby in the “feet to foot” position, with their feet at the end of the cot or Moses basket
- do not let your baby get too hot or cold
- never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair
- do not smoke when you’re pregnant or around your baby after they’re born, and do not let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby
BABY BEDS
New research has found that using specially made baby cot, called a Pēpi-pod, can reduce the risk of death in infants by 22 per cent.
Pēpi-pods, are a small portable plastic bed which creates a zone of physical protection for a baby within a shared bed with parents.
They are purpose built beds which allow babies to sleep with parents safely.
The programme, conducted by several Australian Universities and health organisations, involved 900 families with babies from Australia, between 2010 and 2018.
Parents were given a Pēpi-pod along with personalised education about infant breathing and safe sleeping strategies.
The experts found an astounding 75 per cent reduction in the infant mortality rate in areas with the highest level of community participation in the program.
In June, a corner concluded that the death of a newborn could have been prevented if a pēpi-pod was used.