Cribs for Kids class helps babies sleep safer
COSHOCTON – Did you know that more babies die from unsafe sleep conditions than from abuse and neglect and that Ohio is the 49th worst state in the nation for infant mortality? The Maternal & Child Health Center is hoping that the Cribs for Kids class will help keep more children safe and prevent cases of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
People who attend the class receive a free Graco Pack N Play portable crib and are educated on how to create a safe sleep environment for their baby.
“SIDS is unexplained, but when cases of it are investigated there are certain factors that are almost always found,” said Leane Rohr, facilitator of the class and director of the Maternal & Child Health Center.
Some of the many tips that participants learn in the class are: Babies need to sleep alone, on their backs in uncluttered cribs with firm mattresses. They also should never, ever sleep with their care givers and the room temperature should not be too hot or too cold.
Rohr also highly recommends reading the directions that come with your pack n play, crib or anything related to your baby.
“You want to make sure you set up everything properly so read the directions and follow them to a T,” she said.
The class also includes a light lunch and presentations from WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and Help Me Grow. Tonya Webster from WIC shared information on the positive benefits of skin to skin contact after the birth of your child, the benefits of breastfeeding, tips on when to start your child on food and how to deal with problems such as colic.
“It’s important to remember that all babies are different,” Rohr said. “No two babies will react the same.”
Help Me Grow was unable to attend the April 2 Cribs for Kids class so Rohr stepped in to share a little bit of information on them.
“Parenting can be exhausting, thrilling and overwhelming so it’s important to have support,” she said. “Help Me Grow is one source of support that can help you with your child’s development and parenting. I especially recommend it for first time moms.”
The Cribs for Kids class is funded through an Ohio Department of Health Child and Family Health Service grant and will be offered again in June. Rohr also is hoping to offer classes in 2016.
“We’ve realized how important it is for us to address the infant mortality rate and help provide safe sleep environments for babies after having clients come through our prenatal clinic and say they don’t have a safe place for their babies to sleep,” she said.
Cribs for Kids is a national program that started in Pittsburgh, Pa. with a group of women providing cribs to parents in need. The program now offers pack n plays so babies’ safe sleep place can travel with them.
“That way if their Dad lives in a different house or they go to grandmas they still have some place safe to sleep,” Rohr said.
Cribs for Kids participants also receive a bag of other items that help with safe sleep and numerous informational handouts. To learn more about the June Cribs for Kids session, call 622-2999.
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: People & Places
