Meekel T. McCleave

The 2-month-old baby boy who died in bed with his mother has been identified -- Meekel T. McCleave.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

According to the medical examiner's report:

Meekel, who showed no signs of trauma, lived in the two-bedroom apartment with his mother and three siblings. The apartment was reasonably clean, with food and baby formula available, but no cribs, bassinettes or playpens were found in the home.

The boy's mother attended a wedding Saturday night, where she had two Long Island iced tea drinks, and returned home about 1 a.m. Sunday.

Meekel was also at the wedding but was taken home about 8:30 p.m. by a relative, who watched him until the mother returned home.

The 24-year-old mother told police that when she arrived home, the boy was in bed with her niece and a cousin. After sending the two relatives to another room, the woman put the infant on his back and fell asleep next to him on her stomach.

When two of her cousins woke her the next morning, the mother said, the baby was lying face-down next to her and she called 911.

Emergency personnel arrived, and the boy was pronounced dead at 10:22 a.m., according to the report, which says the mother told police she does not have a crib and has always slept with her children.

The mother is 24-years-old and already has four kids.

This experienced mother told police that she has always slept with her kids and doesn't have a crib.

I suppose she thought that tragedy wouldn't befall her and Meekel, because her other children didn't suffer the little boy's fate.

In spite of the recent warnings and efforts to educate people about the dangers of co-sleeping, this mother (who was not identified in the article) apparently thought that she could ignore the advice.

With four children, a crib would certainly have been a worthwhile investment. I don't understand how one can gamble with the life of one's child.

There are laws about having children in proper car seats. More infants have died in Milwaukee recently while co-sleeping than in car accidents. Is it necessary to legislate proper sleeping environments?


The police report says nothing about Meekel's father. Where is he?

Was this young mother raising four kids alone?

I can't help but feel compassion for the mother's loss. But I'm also troubled by the fact that she took the risk that she did.

Meekel is the fifth baby to die while co-sleeping in Milwaukee since March. FIFTH!

Babies need a safe place to sleep. A tiny infant sleeping with an adult is not safe. It's so basic.

When will the community demand that the parents and caregivers of these infants be held responsible, at least to some extent, for failing to properly care for these children?

There's no reason at this point to believe that this is the last co-sleeping death we'll see. It's not a matter of if another baby will die this way. It's a matter of when.