October 29, 2010 DHH Urges Caregivers to Take Steps to Reduce SIDS RiskLouisiana’s rate of SIDS Deaths is more than twice the national average

- BATON ROUGE - As part of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month, the Louisiana Department of Health reminds parents to take a few simple steps to reduce their baby's risk of dying from SIDS.

SIDS is the third leading cause of infant mortality in the United States and in Louisiana. Louisiana has one of the highest rates of SIDS deaths in the country. In 2007, 84 infants died in Louisiana as a result of SIDS. This amounts to 1.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, which is more than twice the national average of 0.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. SIDS occurs when a baby dies for no apparent reason while they are sleeping. SIDS affects babies from all races, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

"SIDS is the tragic death of an infant with no known cause," says Dr. Gina Lagarde, LDH's Child Health Medical Director, "Our goal is to educate parents, grandparents, and anyone who may have day-to-day contact with infants on ways to reduce the risk of SIDS."

While there is no way to prevent SIDS, the best practice is to ensure all babies have a safe sleep environment. Other tips for SIDS prevention include:

For more information about SIDS Risk Reduction and Safe Sleep, please contact Kristie Bardell, program coordinator, at (504) 568-3534 or call the national SIDS hotline at 1-800-221-SIDS (7437).

The Maternal Child Health Program (MCH) within the Louisiana Department of Health works to assure that pregnant women, women of childbearing age, infants, children, and youth in Louisiana have access to high quality primary and preventive health care services.  MCH supports, the Louisiana SIDS Risk Reduction and Safe Sleep Program and Partners for Healthy Babies.  For more information, please visit the website:  www.1800251baby.org

The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about LDH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov. For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow LDH's blog at www.myhealthla.org, Twitter at http://twitter.com/La_Health_Dept and search for the Louisiana Department of Health on Facebook.

Surgeon General Ralph L. Abraham, M.D.

Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein

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