Health experts raise awareness on infant mortality during September

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)-  Hamilton County  is raising awareness on slowing down fetal and infant mortality in Tennessee. 

“Just working in the hospital setting and seeing how many infants we are losing, or fetal deaths or stillborns we were having, it made me want to be proactive in trying to figure out ways that we can eliminate these issues, if possible,” said Melissa Thompson, Health Program Manager at the Health Department. 

 Thompson explains why it is important to lower the risk of infant mortality. 

“Most of the numbers we were reviewing were actually Tennessee as a whole. Our co sleeping deaths in Hamilton County have an increase as well across Tennessee, so those numbers are a reflection in the cases that we have reviewed in our program,” said Thompson. 

 According to the Tennessee Department of Health, In 2021, there were more than 130 infant sleep related deaths. 

 Dr Stephen Miller, Health Officer at the Health Department believes unsafe bedding and co-sleeping can be a factor in infant deaths. 

“Many times, we can have no effect over whether our baby’s born premature, but we can choose to sleep with our child in the same bed, or smoke during the pregnancy, or the fact that if we seek out prenatal care when it is available to us and we choose not to,” said Dr. Miller. “These are factors that are under our control, and by doing this, we can give our child the best possible chance to make it in this world.” 

 Parents are encouraged to room share with their infants for at least 6 months. 

 Dr. Miller says this practice can prevent sudden infant death syndrome.  

“Sometimes a child can wedge between the mattress and the wall. That is a common way we lose children,” said Dr. Miller. “They need to be in some sort of crib, fold out day crib, bassinet, or something. Next to the bed is fine, but they need to be alone, we cannot emphasize that enough.”