Suggestions to Reduce Infant Mortality
Early and continuous prenatal care helps identify conditions and behavior
that can result in low birthweight babies, such as smoking, drug and alcohol
abuse, inadequate weight gain during pregnancy and repeat pregnancy in
six months or less.
Women who are pregnant should consume 400 micrograms of folic acid
daily from vitamin supplements and/or fortified foods, in addition to eating
certain foods with folic acid to help prevent serious birth defects such as
spina bifida and anencephaly.
Keep your childhood immunizations up to date. These immunizations help to
keep your child well from disease and death from preventable diseases.
To reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), place healthy babies
on their backs to sleep, for naps and at night. Avoid putting the baby in the bed
with you under loose covers, pillows or soft surfaces. Make sure your baby
can't get trapped between the mattress and the framework of the bed
( headboard or footboard), a wall, or other furniture.(A)-Alone/no toys or other persons
(B)-on their back, (C) - in a crib.
For more info
on the Back to Sleep Campaign www.nichd.nih.gov; www.policyalmanac. org/infant mortality
Make sure to restrain your child in a proper car seat when driving a motor vehicle.Riding unrestrained is the greatest risk factor to children in a motor vehicle- making them twice as likely to die or be severely injured in a crash.Improperly restrained children also are far more likely to be injured,to suffer more severe injuries, and to die in the event of a crash.
For more info. www.scpublicsafety
The following information is merely suggestions from the Spartanburg County Coroner's Office to help prevent infant mortality. By no means are we suggesting if you follow all these statements that a death will not happen.
