Keeping Infants Safe…             
As the Coroner's Office, it is our mission to help keep children safe by educating the community to prevent all types of unintentional deaths.
Although the types of fatal injuries in childhood varies with age, the number one cause of deaths in infants is unsafe sleeping environments. These situations result in sleep-related deaths due to accidental suffocation, asphyxia, and SIDS.
In an effort 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 safe sleep tips and free portable cribs to families in need.
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).
We are asking First Responders, in the course of their duties, to keep their eyes open for infants who do not have access to a safe sleeping environment, such as a crib or bassinet.
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 have an immediate impact and save the lives of infants in St. Tammany Parish.
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:Â Alone, on the Back, in an empty Crib.
Checks payable to:
Northshore Community Foundation
c/o St. Tammany Cribs for Kids Program
807 N. Columbia Street
Covington, LAÂ 70433
https://www.northshorefoundation.org/st-tammany-cribs-for-kids
Tax ID 61-1517784
