Correct health information can help save lives. That’s one of our core beliefs in public health and that’s why we work so hard to provide scientifically based, easy-to-understand information about how to improve and protect your health and the health of your family.Improving and protecting the health of our community’s most vulnerable members – babies – is the focus of the Healthy Baby Fair the Health Department is co-sponsoring Sept. 25 at The Citadel in Colorado Springs. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Citadel lower level. Admission is free.We are hoping to see lots of parents and family members of babies as well as the little ones themselves at the health fair. Among the many offerings will be a free children’s dental screening, child fingerprinting, safety information, breastfeeding support, a visit with firefighters, a fire truck and drawings for baby care items. The Health Department will also be providing information about immunization, WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), women’s health and care for children with special needs – and much more.Why is accurate information so important? One of many examples is infant sleeping position and its relationship to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants between 1 month and 1 year of age, most often occurring when a baby is between 2 and 4 months of age. In 2008, Colorado had 39 deaths (9 percent) due to SIDS; El Paso County lost 11 babies (18.6 percent) to SIDS.In the search to end this family and community tragedy, researchers have found a number of factors related to SIDS, among them a strong connection between SIDS and babies who sleep on their tummies or sides. Recommendations regarding sleep positions for infants have varied over the years. That’s why the science of public health is so important. With sleep position identified as a factor, experts launched the “Back to Sleep” campaign in the early 1990s. Since 1992, research shows 60 percent of babies have slept on their backs, and the SIDS rate has decreased 50 percent.Sleep position is not the only factor in SIDS. One easy way to remember the key elements is “the ABCs of Safe Sleep,” which stands for Alone, Back, Crib. Babies should sleep alone, on their backs, in their own cribs.The Healthy Baby Fair will feature a wide variety of information from health experts about how important it is for women and parents to
- Avoid smoking while pregnant and/or with children at home.
- Consume appropriate amounts of folic acid to support healthy pregnancies.
- Gain appropriate amounts of weight during pregnancy.
- Get healthy before conceiving children and in-between children.
- Arrange for proper vaccination of babies and children.
- Provide healthy nutrition and exercise in an effort to prevent childhood obesity, which can lead to diabetes and heart disease.
Get in the Baby Safe Sleep Zone
- Infants should sleep on their backs.
- Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as a safety-approved crib mattress covered with a fitted sheet – never on a pillow, quilt, sofa, sheepskin or other soft surface.
- Keep soft objects, toys and loose bedding out of the baby’s sleep area – no pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, or pillow-like bumpers. Keep all items away from the baby’s face.
- Avoid letting your baby overheat during sleep. Dress your baby in light sleep clothing and keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.
- Ensure that your baby sleeps in his or her own crib.
