The Paid Leave Podcast: How to Keep Your Baby Safe When They are Sleeping

October is Safe Sleep and SIDS Awareness month. According to the National Institute for Health (NIH) SIDS is the leading cause of death among babies between one month and one year. The vast majority of deaths take place before a baby reaches six months of age. Every year there are about 3,400 cases of Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths know as SUID in the U.S.
Alison Jacobson is the CEO of First Candle, which is a national non-profit addressing Sudden Unexpected Infant Death. They do this through community partnerships, educating families on life-saving safe sleep practices, while also providing bereavement support services to families who have tragically experienced the death of their baby from SUID or Stillbirth. Alison is a loss mom herself, her son Connor died in 1997, and she is passionate about helping save babies lives while supporting grieving families.
In this episode, we talked about SIDS and SUID prevention and how to create a safe sleeping environment for your baby. We discussed the racial disparities that exist and how mortality rates increase for black and brown babies. We also discussed how CT Paid Leave can help with mental health issues and appointments for parents who are dealing with the loss of their baby to SIDS. Alison also stressed the importance of educating about safe sleep practices to anyone who deals with a sleeping baby like grandparents and other family members as well as babysitters.
For more information about First Candle please go to: firstcandle.org
For information or to apply for benefits please go to: ctpaidleave.org