Pittsburgh first responders and other groups working to combat increase in infant deaths
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Nationally, statistics show the number one cause of infant deaths before the age of one is due to unsafe sleep practices. Pittsburgh Public Safety leaders said they're seeing an alarming increase in the city and want to ensure all babies have healthy lives.
First responders and local organizations said for babies to reach their first birthday, it comes down to the place where they're sleeping. If it's not a crib or bassinet, then they're at a higher risk of suffocation.
Chaunda Cunningham is with Healthy Start, a nonprofit that educates families about the ways to prevent infant mortality.
"A safe sleep space is a cribette, is a pack-and-play," Cunningham said.
They're working in partnership with the Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS, and Cribs for Kids, a national infant safe sleep initiative headquartered in the city, for a revamped effort after a spike in deaths.
Pittsburgh EMS Assistant Chief Mark Pinchalk said in 2023 there were seven deaths of infants one year or younger in the city. One of them was clearly related to unsafe sleep practices.
This year, as of December 6, we're at 12 deaths, with half due to unsafe sleep practices. Out of those six, five were due to babies sleeping with a parent or sibling, and one for not being in a crib or bassinet.
"It's more than I can remember seeing in the last several years," Pinchalk said.
Because of this, Pinchalk said as of last month, medics and EMTs started doing screenings when responding to houses with infants inside.
"The most important thing we do is we identify there's not a safe place for that baby to sleep," Pinchalk said.
They'll provide guidance, and get a crib to a family without one within 24 hours.
"Since that point, we've done the screening almost 90% of the calls we've been on for infants, and we've delivered cribs in about 13% of those cases," Pinchalk said.
The most important steps are ensuring kids are sleeping alone, in approved cribs, and on their backs.
They want parents to know it's ok to ask for help. After all, no one can do it all.
"We need to make sure that people understand that everybody needs help. Everybody needs support now and then," Cunningham said.
Resources are out there if you're in need of support or a crib. Whether you're local or live in another state, you can find information about where to get a crib or guidance here.
