In the first 10 months of this fiscal year, Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) has investigated 164 cases involving kids who died while sharing a bed or other sleep surface (co-sleeping) with an adult or older child. That’s on pace to surpass the record of 174 co-sleeping deaths investigated by CPS in fiscal year 2011. All but a few of these deaths involve children who were less than 1 year old. (Detailed statistics on bed-sharing deaths are now available on BabyRoomToBreathe.org.)
While the exact cause of most of these deaths is unknown, many of these tragedies might be prevented simply by giving babies “room to breathe” when they sleep.
Over the next 2 months, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is spending $100,000 on an online advertising and social media campaign to educate and remind parents of infants to always follow the ABCs of safe infant sleep.
- A-Babies should sleep alone
- B-On their backs with no blankets or bedding
- C-In a crib and cool (70 degrees)
- S-In a smoke-free environment
