Tips for Preventing Unintentional Child Suffocation

By The Husband and Wife Law Team on October 4, 2011

Unintentional suffocation is one of the leading causes of accidental death for infants and young children. Because babies can’t raise their heads easily, they are especially at risk for suffocation, but young children need to be protected from this type of accident as well.

Follow these tips to reduce the risk of suffocation accidents in your home:

• Avoiding putting infants face-down on soft surfaces. These surfaces include mattress covers, waterbeds, comforters and other soft bedding, and sheepskin rugs.
• Consider keeping the crib bumpers out of your infant’s crib, as they are made of soft materials that could cause suffocation.
• Avoid putting infants in beds and cribs that have soft bedding.
• Do not put pillows or plush toys in a crib or bed with a child.
• Make sure you purchase a crib mattress that fits your crib perfectly. If it is too small, it could catch an infant between the sides of the crib and the mattress.
• Purchase crib sheets that fit snugly over the mattress. Loose sheets can get wrapped around a baby’s head if they come off.
• Do not allow an infant to sleep in an adult-sized bed.
• Avoid letting siblings share a bed with an infant. One of the siblings could roll over and suffocate the infant accidentally.
• Keep all plastic bags and packaging out of reach of babies and young children.
• If you use balloons for a party, keep them out of reach of children and dispose of them immediately after the party ends.

Many parents have to rely on daycare services or the help of relatives to balance their careers with parenthood. If caregivers do not follow these tips or supervise children properly, it could lead to a tragic suffocation. If your child was the victim of a suffocation accident, the Phoenix child injury attorneys of The Breyer Law Offices P.C. can help. Call us at (602) 457-6222 for a free consultation.