Cribs for Kids

As the Coroner’s Office, our mission is to help keep children safe by educating the community to prevent unintentional deaths.

Although the types of fatal injuries in childhood vary with age, the number one cause of death in infants is unsafe sleeping environments.  These situations result in sleep-related deaths due to accidental suffocation, asphyxia, and SIDS.

To better protect infants in St. Tammany Parish, the Coroner and local law enforcement agencies are partnering with Cribs for Kids®’ National Public Safety Initiative called Cribs for Kids / Cops ‘n Cribs.  This program will expand community policies to provide needy families with safe sleep tips and free portable cribs.

As the Coroner's Office, our mission is to help keep children safe by educating the community to prevent unintentional deaths.

The purpose of this initiative is to keep infants safe while they sleep, which causes most to think of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  However, as you can see by the graphic below, SIDS is a subcategory of SUID (Sudden Unexpected Infant Death).

Cribs for Kids Logo on a Transparent Background

First Responders

We are asking First Responders to be alert for infants without access to a safe sleeping environment, such as a crib or bassinet, in the course of their duties.

This is a logical partnership as the Coroner’s Office investigates these tragic deaths and recognizes the need to provide available resources to the community.  These resources and this public education program will immediately impact and save the lives of infants in St. Tammany Parish.

A Safe Environment

What does a safe sleep environment look like?

To reduce the risk of infant, sleep-related deaths such as accidental suffocation, asphyxia, strangulation, and SIDS, the safest way for an infant to sleep is Alone, on the Back, in an empty Crib.

 

Tax ID 61-1517784

In this episode, we talk about infants and how to ensure a safe sleep environment. Chris Knoblauch, Director of Education/Community Outreach with St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office, and Sara Dickenson, Maternal Child Health Coordinator Supervisor with the Bureau of Family Health, join us to give valuable but simple tips for learning about safe sleep for infants, featuring Partners for Family Health and the Cribs for Kids program. We take a moment for mental health and discuss ways to mindfully slow down, simplify, and focus on what’s best for yourself. We honor hero Gene Fontenot.