TOPEKA -- The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)
and collaborating state and local organizations are encouraging
communities to recognize October as SIDS Awareness Month.
Together we hope to ensure that every woman has a healthy
pregnancy by getting early prenatal care and learning about safe
sleep for her baby. It is important as well to have good support
services and make choices that promote a healthy lifestyle for a
lifetime. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and
unexpected death of an otherwise healthy baby. According to the
most recent data from 2009, 290 Kansas infants died before their
first birthdays, representing an infant mortality rate (IMR) of
7 deaths per 1,000 live births. Of the 290 deaths, 39 were
attributed to SIDS and Other Sleep Related Infant Deaths, or
13.4 percent of the infant deaths. This makes SIDS and other
sleep-related deaths, the third highest cause of death among
Kansas infants. “This is why it is especially important for
everyone to follow the sa