
SIDS Prevention

Baby and DocCharlottesville Safe Sleep Program - Council Presentation

  • Top 3 Causes of Infant Mortality in Planning District 10
    - Birth defects
    - Short gestation and infants born at a low birth weight
    - Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUID)
    What are SUID and SIDS
    After investigation, most SUIDs in TJHD are classified SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Risk Factors Associated with SIDS
- Unsafe sleep conditions
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy
- Maternal drug use during pregnancy
- Environmental tobacco smoke
- Late or no prenatal care
- Young maternal age
- Premature or low birth weight infant

Unsafe sleep conditions include
- Soft bedding including pillows, quilts, stuffed toys, etc.
- Bed sharing or co-sleeping
- Inappropriate sleep surface (couch)
- Baby’s sleep position (on stomach or side)

The safest place for infants to sleep is alone, on their back, in a crib, in a smoke-free environment, without soft bedding or toys.

What the Charlottesville/Albemarle Health Department is DoingBaby Girl
The Charlottesville Area Safe Sleep Program is a concerted community effort to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of safe sleep and prevention of SIDS. 

The health department is conducting training with agencies to provide safe sleep education, identify and refer families who need safe cribs, and conduct follow-up.
A limited number of free cribs are available to high-risk households with young infants in Charlottesville and Albemarle. 
Since its inception on 12/9/09, the program has distributed 17 cribs with five cribs going to City residents

Funding Sources
The Charlottesville Area Safe Sleep Program has secured funding and/or in-kind support from the following sources to 1) purchase cribs for distribution; 2) provide health education/community health campaign on safe sleep; and 3) provide program training to agencies:

- City of Charlottesville
- The Junior League of Charlottesville grant

Application for additional funding has been made to the Virginia Department of Health through its “Preventing Unintentional Injuries” grant.