The Chair of the province’s Death Review Panel says there are some common factors that seem to contribute to babies dying in their sleep.

There is an average of 23 infant sleep deaths each year in British Columbia. Michael Egilson says to put that into perspective, there are 44,000 babies born in the province every year. “Many of those deaths are preventable and they occur disproportionately in vulnerable families. So, the challenge really is in identifying the needs of those vulnerable carer givers and infants and engaging them and providing them with the support they need.”

Egilson says there are some points for people to keep in mind. “The importance of placing your infant on their back, having a firm mattress that’s free of hazards to reduce suffocation. So, a firm mattress, tight fitting sheets, no bumper pads or pillows and those kinds of things.
Really important is a smoke free environment. A crib or a bassinet certainly more preferable to have a separate sleep area for your child even though they’re in your room.”  He says when examining the 141 deaths over a 5 year period, the essence of the recommendations revolved around continuing to provide universal safe sleep messaging for everybody. “But, really the importance of identifying, engaging and better supporting vulnerable families which is where a disproportionate number of these infant deaths occur.”