The year is young. 2012 is only two months old.
Already, five infants in Milwaukee have died after being in an unsafe sleeping environment.
FIVE precious lives have been lost because of the actions of their parents or caregivers.
It's inexcusable.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
A 3-month-old boy died while sharing a living room couch with his sleeping mother, the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office reported Monday.
The boy, Zechariah, is the fifth Milwaukee infant to die this month after being exposed to an unsafe sleep environment. Milwaukee recorded 11 unsafe sleep deaths in all of 2011.
According to the medical examiner's report:
The infant's mother told investigators that the baby usually slept in a bassinet in the bedroom she shares with the infant's father.
On Saturday, she said, the infant's father wasn't home. After feeding the boy from a bottle around 10:30 p.m., she fell asleep alone on the couch.
The mother said the infant's siblings were put in charge of his care. Sometime during the night, a 9-year-old sibling placed the boy with his mother on the couch.
The mother told investigators she woke up just before 3 a.m. Sunday and felt the infant near her backside. She said she was under a comforter and found the lifeless boy on top of the blanket.
Investigators found no evidence of drug or alcohol use in the home. The boy appeared well-nourished and had no visible injuries.
A 9-year-old is too young to be "put in charge" of a 3-month-old infant's care.
After 10:30 PM, the 9-year-old should be sleeping, not caring for an infant sibling while the mother sleeps on the couch.
When are all parents and caregivers of infants in the city going to realize how critical a safe sleeping environment is?
Five dead babies in Milwaukee in 2012 - inexcusable.
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