CINCINNATI — Hamilton County health officials say there's a concerning trend in the number of kids dying from sleep-related causes.
Thursday, officials with the Hamilton County Public Health Department and Cincinnati Health Department spoke to a group of parents about the troubling trends.
"We've not really seen our deaths from sleep-related deaths go down," Grant Mussman, health commissioner for the Cincinnati Health Department, said. "In fact, those have gone up just a little bit."
According to data from the county public health department, there were 15 infant deaths from sleep-related causes last year. That's the same number as 2023.
Officials said that 80% of deaths were caused by babies sleeping in an adult bed instead of a crib or bassinet.
WATCH in the video player below to hear what officials say parents should know to help prevent a sleep-related infant death
"The risk is that, unfortunately, when parents fall asleep and they're tired, they don't know if they roll over and they can suffocate their child in their sleep," Greg Kesterman, health commissioner for Hamilton County Public Health Department, said.
Kesterman said nursing pillows are another growing concern for health officials.
Data shows that between 2013 and 2023, there were 10 sleep-related infant deaths where a nursing pillow was present. Last year alone, there were four deaths.
"We think it's super important that parents be aware of this issue," Kesterman said. "No parent is trying to ever cause harm to their little one, and each instance of a death is super sad, and so we are really trying to make families aware and make sure that they are using nursing pillows in the right way."
There are resources available for parents who may need help. That's one goal of the group Cradle Cincinnati, which focuses on reducing infant mortality in Hamilton County.
Associate Director Lauren Everett said they work to educate parents on how to prevent a tragedy.
"What we have heard from our families in particular is that they are exhausted," Everett said. "They have competing priorities, they have to go to work, they may have other children."
Everett and other health officials said they want parents to keep the acronym "ABC" in mind, which stands for:
- A (Alone) — Babies should sleep alone in their own sleep space, such as a crib or bassinet. Keep the sleep area free of pillows, blankets, toys, stuffed animals and other soft items.
- B (Back) — Use a firm, flat mattress in a crib or portable crib, and always place babies on their backs to sleep. Studies show that back-sleeping remains an infant’s safest position for reducing the risk of SUID.
- C (Crib) — Infants should sleep in a clean crib, bassinet or portable play yard. The mattress should be firm and flat, using only a fitted sheet. Avoid allowing babies to sleep on sofas, armchairs or in devices like swings or bouncers, which are not designed for safe sleep.
You can find more resources and information on safe sleep for kids by clicking this link.
