Baltimore health officials discuss sudden rise in sleep-related infant deaths

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City health officials, including Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa, joined supporting city agencies in warning residents after a spike in sleep-related infant deaths. 

There have been 18 sleep-related infant deaths in the area since December last year, officials said. Of those deaths, 11 occurred in Baltimore City, while 7 occurred in Baltimore County. 

"This is more than all of last year's sleep-related deaths total," Dzirasa said. "This is deeply concerning and we need to act quickly to address this issue by alerting the public including our parents, caregivers and providers, of the dangers of sleep-related deaths among infants. 

The officials reminded caregivers of key factors to avoid tragedy:

• No smoking during pregnancy
• Always place infants on their backs when sleeping
• Remove any soft objects and choking hazard objects whilst sleeping