Increasing Awareness of Safe Sleep Environments
Breakfast Symposium of October 8th, 2008
On October 8th, Public Health Solutions hosted a breakfast symposium entitled, "Increasing Awareness of Safe Sleep Environments for Infants". The gathering was organized and supported by our Sudden Infant Death Risk Reduction and Counseling program staff in collaboration with members of our Research and Evaluation and our Programs divisions.
Terry Rosenberg, PhD, Sr. Deputy Director, Research and Evaluation at Public Health Solutions set the stage for the ensuing discussion by presenting the findings of a research study conducted at two Public Health Solutions WIC Centers in Brooklyn. Her presentation was entitled “Infant Bed-Sharing among Low-Income Mothers in New York City: Prevalence, Correlates and Added Risks”.
CLICK HERE for more & full audio and power point presentation.
The First Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, Barbara Sampson, MD, then spoke on behalf of the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Charles Hirsch, referring to his initial stated goal of improving infant/child death investigations, and concluding that, 20 years later, he has in fact set the paradigm. She pointed out that while the autopsy is an important part of the investigation, it is only one part of a more widespread and comprehensive process of information gathering, which will allow correct determination on cause of death.
CLICK HERE for INTRO ONLY of Panel Discussion: Certifying Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths
Melissa Pasquale-Styles, MD, Director of Investigations, provided a detailed overview of the medico legal death scene investigations of infant deaths in NYC. When an infant is unresponsive, usually the caregivers call 911. First responders rush the baby to the nearest emergency room and there, if attempts at resuscitation fail, a doctor pronounces the infant dead. The medico legal investigator (MLI), who is a physician assisant, is then summoned to talk with the caregivers. He or she examines the infant for external evidence of injury or illness and records his or her observations.The MLI investigates the death scene, bringing a life-size doll to assist the parents to describe the circumstances of their baby's death.
Monica Smiddy, MD, City Medical Examiner in the Bronx discussed a variety of changes in SIDS that she has observed over the past 15 years, including, advances in technology are making it possible for very premature infants to survive and be discharged from the hospital; fatalities in premature infants post-discharge are incresing; many families are under greater economic stress; maternal risk factors such as obesity and diabetes have increased; soft bedding intended for adult beds is increasingly being used in babies’ cribs/bassinets, which increases infant death risk.
CLICK HERE for FULL Panel Discussion: Certifying Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths
Lorraine Boyd, MD, MPH, Director, Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health (BMIRH), NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene presented "New York City Safe Sleep Initiatives" providing an overview of the Department’s public health strategy and initiatives in reducing the risk of sudden unexpected infant death.
She emphasized the need for policy makers, service providers, and communities to work together toward assuring that infant safety is well understood and practiced.
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Deborah Campbell, MD, FAAP, Director of the Division of Neonatology at Children’s Hospital Montefiore gave the final presentation, “Including the Safe Sleep Message in New York City Clinical Settings”. Dr. Campbell pointed to missed opportunities and service gaps in the continuum of perinatal care. She also emphasized the importance of discussing infant safety in general in prenatal settings such as at WIC sites and in physicians’ practices, as well as the need for infant safety education of all hospital staff who interface with patients so that a uniform, accurate message is disseminated.
CLICK HERE for more & full audio and power point presentation.
