Two Co-sleeping Deaths In Milwaukee - THIS WEEK

The Milwaukee Health Department provides some important information for parents and caregivers.

Like: The City of Milwaukee Health Department strongly advises parents NOT to share a bed with their infant.

Sadly, many people are not getting the "Safe Sleep for Your Baby" memo.  And if they're getting it, they're ignoring it.

In spite of efforts to educate the public on giving their infants a safe sleeping environment, babies are still dying in Milwaukee due to bad choices.

Two babies have died in suspected co-sleeping incidents this week alone.

From WTAQ, via WHBL:

For the second time this week, a young baby boy in Milwaukee died after apparently getting crushed while sleeping with his mother.

A one-month-old child was pronounced dead around 8 a.m. Thursday at a home on the city's north side.

The Milwaukee County medical examiner's office said it was investigating.

On Monday, a 10-day old boy died after he reportedly was co-sleeping with his mother and a sibling.

The prevalence of co-sleeping deaths in Milwaukee has been an issue since at least 2009!

Those babies who died in 2009 would be in kindergarten by now.

Oh, well.

Sometimes bad things happen as a result of making bad choices. 

Go to sleep. Smother your baby to death. It happens.

Maybe some protests are in order. Get the Dontre Hamilton crowd to stage a demonstration.

Would blocking a freeway ramp get people to stop smothering their babies?

Chief Ed Flynn: Murder Charges Not Motive

Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn called Charlie Sykes' radio program this morning, to address issues related to the assault and double shooting that resulted in the deaths of two individuals.

Flynn said it would violate the law for him to say whether or not the victim, the maintenance man, had a valid concealed carry permit. That's why he didn't share that information with the public. Flynn sort of mocked concealed carry permit proponents, saying the ones so interested in the law aren't interested in following that aspect of it.

I have to admit I really never paid attention to the source of information on crime cases, in terms of the legal or illegal possession of a weapon. However, it seems to me that we often hear about an individual committing an alleged crime with a stolen gun or a gun illegally obtained.

As far as the charges in the double shooting case, Flynn said there is probable cause for the arrest of the maintenance man. Flynn said the charges, first degree intentional homicide, don't deal with motive. In other words, there is no judgment based on self-defense when it comes to the charges. The maintenance fired the gun that killed two people. Even though Flynn said during his Wednesday news conference that the maintenance man was apparently acting to defend himself, he said self-defense is not a "get out of jail free card."

Another thing that Flynn told listeners was that the maintenance man, on advice from counsel, was not speaking to police. Of course, on Wednesday, Flynn said the maintenance man was cooperating with police. According to Flynn today, the man never provided an official statement. He has not been interviewed. That's news to me.

Flynn's remarks about the charges and motive prompted me to think about all the co-sleeping deaths in Milwaukee.

Since motive isn't a factor when it comes to charges, I would think all the parents/caregivers who smother a baby as a result of putting that innocent child in an unsafe sleeping environment would be charged with first degree intentional homicide.

They, of course, walk, and are not held accountable.

Something is very wrong there.

Ashanti Hendricks: Physical Abuse of a Child

Ashanti Hendricks, the thug responsible for the shooting and subsequent lockdown of Children's Hospital earlier this month, faces a new charge.

From FOX6 News:

22-year-old Ashanti Hendricks – the man charged in connection with an incident at Children’s Hospital on November 14th — is facing a new charge of physical abuse of a child. This, after a seven-week-old baby he was holding when he was approached by police at Children’s Hospital suffered a fractured skull after being thrown or dropped.

Hendricks pleaded not guilty during a court appearance Monday morning, November 25th. An amended criminal complaint was issued against Hendricks, charging him with physical abuse of a child (repeater).

Hendricks already faces one count of felony bail jumping (repeater – failure to appear in court), one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of obstructing/resisting an officer (repeater) and one count of felony bail jumping (repeater).

According to the initial criminal complaint, Milwaukee police officers were dispatched to Children’s Hospital on Thursday, November 14th after receiving a call reporting Hendricks was at the hospital, giving the particular room he was in, and that he had a warrant for his arrest.

Once at the hospital, officers observed Hendricks sitting in a room on a futon holding a baby.

According to the criminal complaint, the baby Hendricks was holding suffered a skull fracture after being thrown or dropped on the floor.

The criminal complaint says officers asked Hendricks to put down the baby, and officers reported it appeared Hendricks was getting nervous, as his hands were shaking and he reached toward his rear waistband.

That’s when the complaint says officers asked Hendricks to show his hands. The complaint says he ran from the room.

I don't care how "nervous" Hendricks was getting. He was holding the baby and was responsible for the infant's skull fracture.

Hendricks deserves to be charged for physical abuse of a child, even if he didn't intend to hurt the baby. He didn't handle the little one with care and the infant suffered a serious injury.

Of course, if a parent or caregiver smothers an infant to death while co-sleeping, no problem.

Another Dead Baby: CO-SLEEPING

Is this the sixteenth baby in Milwaukee to die this year as a result of co-sleeping?

From FOX6 News:

The Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the death of a two-month-old baby girl. Initial reports indicate the infant was co-sleeping with her mother in an adult bed.

According to authorities, officers responded to an apartment complex on Lovers Lane near Silver Spring Dr. for a “death on entry” call around 4:47 a.m. Monday, November 11th.

The infant was pronounced dead at 6:12 a.m.

...The Medical Examiner’s report says the baby and her two-year-old sister were bathed Sunday night, and then the children’s father arrived to take the two-year-old to his residence.

The report says the baby’s mother went out for a cigarette, during which time the baby was watched by the mother’s roommates, according to the Medical Examiner’s report.

The baby was then placed in the adult bed with the mother, according to the Medical Examiner’s report. The baby was placed with her head and neck on a regular sized pillow and covered with a thin sheet up to the baby’s waist. The baby’s mother laid on the baby’s left side, facing her — according to the Medical Examiner’s report.

Around 4:30, the baby’s mother woke up and noticed the baby unresponsive.

...The report indicates the baby’s mother told officials she had consumed one 12-ounce Mike’s Hard Lemonade beverage the previous night. No other alcohol or drug use was reported.

The Medical Examiner’s report says the residence was clean and well-kept, and the refrigerator and pantry were well-stocked with food.

Inside the home, a Medical Examiner discovered a bassinet next to the bed that appeared clean and functional.

The mother claims she had only one Mike's Hard Lemonade. The residence was clean and well-kept and there was plenty of food in the house.

SO WHAT?

A baby girl is dead after sharing a bed with her mother.

A bassinet was available for the infant but the mother chose not to use it.

This is not OK.

We don't know yet if this baby girl died from the unsafe sleeping environment, but we do know she is dead and had been co-sleeping.

I don't care if the mother or caregiver is sober or under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol when a baby is smothered to death because the little one wasn't given a safe place to sleep.

These adults should be held responsible for the deaths of the babies in their care.

There would be more outrage from the community if sixteen puppies had been smothered by their owners.

That's sick.

Michelle Obama, Eva Longoria: Watertown High School on Thursday

First lady Michelle Obama and actress Eva Longoria will be in Wisconsin on Thursday at Watertown High School.

Why?

TO PROMOTE DRINKING WATER.

What a waste!

Taxpayers have to pick up the cost of security just so Michelle can tell us to DRINK WATER.

Insane.

From AP, via WMTV:

Michelle Obama and actress Eva Longoria are coming to Watertown High School on Thursday for an event to promote the drinking of water over sugary soft drinks.

The White House announced the event on Monday. It is not open to the general public.

Watertown Mayor John David says he thinks the 24,000-population city, located roughly in between Madison and Milwaukee, was selected because it has the word "water" in its name. And, David says, "We've actually got tremendous drinking water."

...The White House says the new effort will bring together leaders from industry, entertainment, media and government to promote the health benefits of drinking water.

This is really crazy.

I am so sick of Michelle's lame lectures.

From FOX6:

Let’s Move!, the First Lady’s initiative to ensure all our children grow up healthy, works to provide American families with simple, actionable information to make healthy choices.

...According to the CDC, more than 40% of Americans drink less half of the recommend amount of water daily, including 7% who don’t drink any water. This new effort will remind people that more water helps you have more energy and stamina so you can do more, longer and with better focus.

...The event begins at 2:30 p.m.

If Michelle wants to tell people to drink water, why not just tweet "Drink water"?

Going to Watertown High School with Eva Longoria to spread the word about water is really bizarre.

Does Michelle know about the epidemic of co-sleeping deaths in Milwaukee?

Another infant is dead in a co-sleeping incident.

The Medical Examiner’s report indicates the infant was found on a queen-size bed. On the bed were two comforters, a fitted sheet and four pillows.

The Medical Examiner’s report says the residence was filthy and unkempt. However, the family denies neglect is to blame in this case.

...The District Attorney’s Office says no charges have been referred, and they’re not sure if anyone will be, as the investigation is ongoing.

Currently, unsafe sleeping accounts for 15-20 percent of infant deaths in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee County Health Department says it is important babies sleep alone on their backs in a crib without any pillows, blankets or toys.

Michelle likes to tell parents how to care for their children. She likes to tell adults what to eat and drink.

Perhaps she could tell Milwaukee parents to provide a safe place for their infants to sleep. She could raise awareness about the dangers of irresponsible parenting when it comes to sleeping with babies. She should throw her weight around on that issue.

But no, instead we'll get an event about the importance of DRINKING WATER, in Watertown.

Unbelievable.

Brandy Payne and Her Dead Baby

This is a gruesome story.

It's about another dead infant in Milwaukee.

This little one wasn't smothered in a co-sleeping incident. According to the criminal complaint, the baby's mother raised him above her head and threw him to the kitchen floor.

From FOX6 News:

22-year-old Brandy Payne of Milwaukee is facing one count of first-degree reckless homicide in connection with the death of her seven-day-old infant that occurred June 13th.

Payne made her initial appearance in court on Tuesday, June 18th — where bail was set at $100,000.

According to the criminal complaint, Panye told police she raised the baby over her head and then threw him to the kitchen floor following a telephone argument with the baby’s father. After throwing the baby, Panye told police she observed bleeding from the child’s head.

The complaint indicates Payne cleaned up the blood, put a cap on the baby’s head to conceal the injury before taking the baby to his father’s residence — where she left him with members of the father’s family. Emergency personnel was called to scene after it was discovered that the child was hurt.

When officials arrived on the scene they found a seven-day-old infant who was not breathing and did not have a pulse. Resuscitation efforts were started immediately.

While continuing lifesaving measures, the Fire Department transported the child to a medical vehicle. Once inside the vehicle, a firefighter re-positioned the baby’s head and noticed that it appeared to be very soft in the rear skull area. According to the complaint, the firefighter further stated that the entire head of the baby appeared soft and spongy, with swelling around the right temple area.

An autopsy of the seven-day-old baby showed trauma to the face and head, including bruising and abrasions to the face. The Medical Examiner also noted that the baby’s head appeared to be somewhat oblong and very spongy to the touch.

Upon conducting the internal examination, the Medical Examiner determined that the baby died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and determined the manner of death to be a homicide.

...Michael Johnson — the baby’s father, says the traumatic injuries his seven-day-old son suffered are unexplainable.

“How do you explain the injuries? The only thing I could think was this was an accident. I know she won’t harm a fly — I promise you. I’m deeply devastated,” Johnson said.

Payne told officials she was arguing with Johnson shortly before the baby died — saying Johnson had told her the baby was not his.

“No, never,” Johnson said. “We’ve established that I was the father. She knows and I know.”

A Medical Examiner’s report says the baby’s mother is said to be significantly cognitively disabled or intellectually disabled.

Here's video, from FOX6:



We don't know what really happened, at least not yet.

What we do know is that Payne and Johnson are completely dysfunctional and their innocent baby is dead.

The child was severely abused.

In the interview, Johnson says he's "deeply devastated." He doesn't look devastated. He seems detached. His son is dead and he's on TV. Johnson claims, "I'm an understanding person. I want to hear all sides of the story."

What? He's the father. He should have been around to know all sides of the story. Johnson doesn't sound like he's mourning the death of his son. It appears he'll have no trouble moving on. I wonder if he has any other children.

If Payne, the mother, is "significantly cognitively disabled or intellectually disabled," as the Medical Examiner's report states, why was she left alone to care for the baby?

So much irresponsibility.

This child was doomed. It's so sad.

The baby was only seven days old and suffered so much.

Imagine a world where fathers are married to the mothers of their children. They live together. They love each other, and love and nurture their newborns. They're a family, committed to caring for one another. How quaint!

Meanwhile, the reward for information about the turtle bludgeoned to death on a golf course in Delavan is up to $10,000.

There are people across the country horrified by what happened to the turtle. They're demanding justice.

A dead baby doesn't get as much attention.

Maybe that's because babies are simply discarded every day, over one million abortions each year in the U.S.

The lives of turtles receive more respect.

Our society won't tolerate a turtle being treated so savagely.

Co-Sleeping Deaths - Two More DEAD BABIES

Two more very young, precious lives were lost over the weekend in Milwaukee. TWO!

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Two homes where infant boys died in recent days had cribs available, but the children were instead in adult beds with other family members, investigators said Monday.

The boys are the third and fourth babies to die this year after being exposed to unsafe sleep conditions.

A 5-month-old named Jeremiah was found by his father Friday morning in a bedroom at their home in the 4900 block of N. 58th St. He had been placed in an adult bed beside his twin sister the night before, according to a medical examiner's report. His father found Jeremiah facedown in the bed beneath his sister.

Investigators found a crib in the room. They also found a car seat, a pacifier, a pillow, a comforter and other items on the bed. Investigators found evidence of smoking and drinking in the house, according to the report.

A 2-month-old boy named Kamari was found Sunday morning by his mother in a bed they were sharing at their home in the 5800 block of N. 40th St.

The mother told investigators she put the infant in a crib on Saturday night. She said her son woke up at 4 a.m. and that she put him back to sleep beside her in her bed. When she woke up 90 minutes later, she said, he was unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin about 9 a.m.

Investigators said the house smelled of cigarette smoke.

Exposing babies to cigarette smoke increases the risk of sleep-related deaths, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. So does placing an infant to sleep in an adult bed.

Smoking?

Investigators found evidence of smoking in both homes where the deaths took place.

Yeah, they probably found evidence of refrigerators in the homes, but the appliances didn't smother the infants.

I can understand emphasizing the cigarette smoke if the babies had died while sleeping safely in cribs. The tiny victims were placed in dangerous sleeping conditions. That's the key point. Why introduce smoking as a possible cause?

Good grief.

Obviously, not enough is being done in Milwaukee to prevent babies from dying because they are being placed in unsafe conditions.

Co-sleeping deaths have been publicized as an issue in Milwaukee since at least 2009, but nothing changes.

This year alone four babies have already died after co-sleeping.

When are parents/caregivers going to be held responsible for not properly taking care of their children?

A co-sleeping death is completely preventable. There is no excuse.

For more than four years, I've been saying there will be more deaths related to co-sleeping.

It's not going out on a limb to say there will be another baby smothered to death soon.

There's no end to these senseless deaths in sight.

Co-Sleeping Death - Another DEAD Baby in Milwaukee

Yet another baby in Milwaukee is dead after co-sleeping with an adult.

Oops! Too bad.

When are the adults in these cases going to be held accountable for endangering infants?

WISN-TV has the story.

A 3-month-old baby was found dead Sunday morning after co-sleeping with a caregiver in an adult bed, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office.

The medical examiner said an autopsy was performed on King Williams, and no sign of trauma was found.

The infant was sleeping in the bed with his mother's roommate in their apartment on North 27th Street.

This was not an instance of the mother breastfeeding the baby and then falling asleep.

The baby boy was in bed with his mother's roommate.

Is Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett going to hold a press event, expressing his outrage at another senseless co-sleeping death?

No. If the baby had been accidentally shot and killed, Barrett would be all over this.

Maybe even Obama would choose to add the death to his list of the exploited to push gun control measures.


But this 3-month-old infant's death likely will just be chalked up as a mistake.

No responsibility. No consequences. Just a mistake.

I have a problem with that.

Tom Barrett: First TV Ad - 'Civil'

Apparently, Tom Barrett has latched on to the "Civil War" thing for his campaign.

It's the theme of his first TV ad.

Here's the ad:



Hey, Tom?

Have you noticed that there is a war of sorts in YOUR city?

There's a lot of violence, armed robberies and stabbings and shootings and murders. Babies are being smothered to death.

Isn't it time YOU do something to put an end to that?

You talk about the loss of jobs in Wisconsin. Care to discuss the loss of jobs in Milwaukee under YOUR watch?

I didn't think so.

I think it's time for YOU to do something, anything, to really improve YOUR city. An idiotic streetcar won't help. YOUR city is a mess. Have you noticed its sad decline since YOU took office?

Want to take responsibility for that? No?

Tom?

Tom, your record is your worst enemy.

Wisconsinites: Do you want your state to be like the city of Milwaukee?

If you do, vote for Tom Barrett.

Then, seek some immediate psychological assessment and care.

Co-Sleeping Death #5 in Milwaukee

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.

Co-Sleeping Deaths in Milwaukee: INEXCUSABLE

That campaign to prevent co-sleeping deaths in Milwaukee didn't help 10-day-old Egypt Holloway or one month, 28-day-old Brandi Gilmore.

Both infants are dead.

From FOX 6 News:

The Milwaukee Medical Examiner reports a one month, 28 day old infant died in a co-sleeping incident on New Year's Eve, while sleeping on two crib mattresses on the floor of a living room with three other children.

The Medical Examiner's report says Brandi Gilmore was being cared for by her 22-year-old aunt, before being passed off to a 10-year-old aunt for care. The report says the 22-year-old aunt noticed the infant unresponsive just before 10:00 p.m., and called 911. Paramedics responded to the scene and the infant did not respond to any medical interventions.

The Medical Examiner's report says the baby's mother, Stephanie Blake and the baby's father went to bed and left the baby in the care of the 22-year-old aunt. According to the report, the baby's father, Brandon Gilmore told officials the baby usually sleeps in bed with him.

The report says four children total were sleeping on the two crib mattresses pushed together on the floor, and the baby was cradled in the crook of an aunt's left arm, face up.

I don't understand the parents/caregivers of these defenseless little ones.

Why not put their precious babies in a crib in order to prevent the tragedy of putting them in a grave?

This is child neglect, pure and simple.

A case could be made that it's child abuse.

Co-sleeping deaths in Milwaukee have been an issue for YEARS.

These deaths are preventable, but nothing changes.

Parents/caregivers must be held accountable.

Why are we giving them a pass?

It's wrong.

For YEARS, the response has been the same: 'Hopefully, people will learn and it won't take another co-sleeping death to get parents/caregivers to provide their infants with a safe sleeping environment.'

Prediction: Soon, there will be another co-sleeping death in Milwaukee. And another, and another, and another.

The reason more infants keep dying needlessly: Parents/caregivers aren't punished for their negligence.

If you're responsible for smothering a baby to death, there should be a punishment.

Actions have consequences, unless your baby dies as a result of a "co-sleeping incident" in Milwaukee.

Lisa Humphrey

Lisa Humphrey, the grandmother charged with killing her 10-month-old grandson, Royality Sanders, has been convicted of killing before.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A woman who police say killed her 10-month-old grandson by spiking his bottle with morphine was convicted of shooting the infant's grandfather to death in the late 1980s, according to court documents obtained Friday by the Journal Sentinel.

Lisa Humphrey, 46, is charged in a complaint with killing her grandson, Royality Sanders, whose body was found April 28 on the mattress he had shared the night before with Humphrey and his 2-year-old sister. A warrant has been issued for her arrest, according to court documents.

A jury found Humphrey guilty in July 1989 of shooting her husband, Curtis Humphrey, in the back and in the throat as he tried to leave their apartment building in the spring of 1988, according to court records.

Humphrey, convicted of what was then called second-degree murder, faced up to 20 years in prison. Then-Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Michael Skwierawski sentenced her to six years.

Queentesta Humphrey is Royality's 24-year-old mother and the daughter of Lisa and Curtis Humphrey. In other words, her mother has been convicted of killing her father and is charged with killing her son.

"I am near to having a nervous breakdown," Queentesta Humphrey said.

She said she and her siblings were placed in foster care after her father was killed.

A child when her mother was released, Queentesta Humphrey said she was the only one in her family that would have anything to do with her mother.

She said she has been taking care of her mother, who suffers from back pain, for the last several years.

"I can't understand why she would do this," she said.

Really?

Someone capable of killing your father would be capable of killing your baby.

I can't understand why Queentesta would leave her children in her mother's care.

...In the early evening of April 8, 1988, according to court records, Lisa Humphrey and her husband were arguing over a pair of shoes. Curtis Humphrey wanted to know where his wife had found the money to buy them. Lisa Humphrey told police he slapped her and wrestled with her on their bed.

Lisa Humphrey told police she called her husband's mother, who came to their apartment in the 700 block of W. Galena St.

As her mother-in-law was talking to her husband, Lisa Humphrey took a handgun from his car, according to a complaint.

She told police that she closed her eyes and opened fire on her husband as he was heading down a flight of stairs.

He climbed back up the stairs, went back into their apartment and collapsed on the floor, the complaint says.

Decades of deadly dysfunction.

Co-Sleeping Death, Milwaukee

Another child in Milwaukee dies. Co-sleeping is suspected as the cause of death.

It's a sad story.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A 3-month-old girl was found dead Sunday after spending the night sleeping beside her mother on a couch.

The 22-year-old mother, who is from Madison, was visiting friends and family in Milwaukee. The mother told investigators she had been drinking, according to a medical examiner's report released Monday.

Upon discovering her daughter was dead, according to the report, the mother attempted to cut her wrists.

According to the report, the mother cried out, "I killed my baby!

"I should be arrested. I did not hear her drowning. I did not wake up."

The medical examiner's office determined that the death was accidental, but it has not determined the cause of death.

If this was a co-sleeping death, there's an element of negligence. Of course, the mother didn't set out to kill her child. It was an accident, but due to taking an unreasonable risk.

Some accidents can be easily prevented. Had this baby been in a crib, she would be alive today.

According to the report:

The mother and child took a bus from Madison to Milwaukee and arrived Friday.

On Saturday, she visited a cousin living in the 1500 block of W. Mitchell St. There, according to the report, she split half a pint of Hennessy cognac. Around 9 p.m., she paid a cousin $10 to baby-sit the child and went to a bar.

When she returned, the infant was already asleep on a couch. The mother joined the child on the couch, which was covered with black faux-suede material, about 4 a.m. Sunday.

When she woke up, the child was facing the back of the couch, her face very near the cushion, according to the report.

The child was pronounced dead at the scene, where investigators found the baby's formula in the kitchen, beside a can of beer.

The mother told investigators that though she has a crib for her daughter, she has never put it together.

She said she believes it was safer to sleep with her baby.

I doubt the mother still believes it's safer to sleep with her baby rather than placing her daughter in a crib.

But because of her choices, her decisions to drink and then sleep on a couch with her little baby, this mother will be placing her infant daughter in a grave.

Michaela Nirae Cruz

It's happened again in Milwaukee County.

Another baby has died while co-sleeping.

Michaela Nirae Cruz is the 12th little one to die under those circumstances this year.

What a horrible death toll!

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Prosecutors are reviewing the death of a 4-week-old girl who died Sunday while sharing a bed with her parents at their home in West Allis, Milwaukee County officials said Monday.

Michaela Nirae Cruz is at least the 12th child under the age of 2 to die in an unsafe sleep environment in Milwaukee County this year, according to a Journal Sentinel count based on information from law enforcement and the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office.

According to a medical examiner's report released Monday:

Michaela's parents spent much of early Sunday morning drinking beer at a friend's house while Michaela and her twin brother slept upstairs.

Michaela, her brother and their parents returned to their home in the 1600 block of S. 57th St. shortly after 6 a.m.

Michaela and her brother slept in their car seats inside their house until about noon, when Michaela began crying and her father placed her between himself and Michaela's mother on their queen-size bed.

Michaela's mother awoke about 3:20 p.m. and found the girl unresponsive on the bed. Michaela was pronounced dead inside the house.

An autopsy found no signs of trauma, according to a statement from the medical examiner's office. Investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology tests before determining a cause of death, the statement says.

Who has 4-week-old twins, takes them to a friend's house, and then spends the early morning hours drinking beer there while the infants sleep in a room upstairs?

Not good parents.

The cause of Baby Michaela's death needs to be determined. It's premature to make any suggestions about removing her twin brother from the home.

But whatever the cause of Michaela's death, I worry about her brother's safety.

I strongly believe that adults need to be held accountable for failing to provide a safe sleeping environment for infants in their care.

When such negligence is involved, it's not an accident.

Makyla K. Johnson: Suspected Co-Sleeping Death

Makyla K. Johnson was only 9 months old when she died.

She had been put to sleep on a couch along with her 3-year-old sister.

Her 18-year-old father, Jovon Johnson, had put Makyla on her stomach on the couch.

Here's the reality: It is not a safe sleep environment for a 9-month-old to be sleeping on her stomach on a couch with a 3-year-old.

Makyla died the day after Milwaukee launched yet another effort to reach the public about the importance of a safe sleep environment for babies.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The night after city officials launched a very public safe sleep campaign, another child died while apparently co-sleeping in Milwaukee.

Nine-month-old Makyla K. Johnson had been sleeping on a sofa with her 3-year-old sister shortly before her father discovered her in distress early Wednesday, according to a Milwaukee County medical examiner's report. It would be at least the ninth case of a child dying in an unsafe sleep environment in the city this year.

...She and her sister had been sleeping on a couch at her parents' apartment in the 3400 block of N. 2nd St. Her father, Jovon Johnson, 18, told investigators he had fed Makyla about 11:15 p.m. and put her on her stomach on the couch she shared with the older girl.

About 11:30 p.m., he joined Makyla's mother, Patrice Gordon, 19, to watch TV in another room. About 12:30 a.m., Gordon's 3-year-old daughter came into the couple's room to ask for a drink. Johnson got up to get the drink and change Makyla's diaper. But when he turned her over, he noticed her eyes were glazed-over. Gordon called 911 shortly before 1 a.m.

Emergency workers arrived and tried to save the child, but she was pronounced dead about 1:30 a.m.

Did Makyla have any underlying medical conditions that may have contributed to her death?

I'm not aware of any information in that regard.

What's certain is that yet another precious life has been lost under unsafe sleep conditions.

When will it end?

When will parents and caregivers be held accountable for putting babies at risk?

Another Baby Dead Co-Sleeping

AGAIN?

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Milwaukee police and investigators from the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office are investigating the possible co-sleeping death of a 6-month-old boy, a police spokeswoman said Thursday.

Police were called to a house in the 3200 block of N. Palmer St. about 8:40 a.m., police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said.

If it is determined that the boy was co-sleeping when he died, he would be at least the 10th child to die while co-sleeping in Milwaukee County this year, according to a Journal Sentinel count based on information from the medical examiner's office.

The death of this baby boy comes just days after 1-month-old Shaniyla N. Malone died while sleeping in the same bed with her mother and two of her siblings.

There's a level of negligence in infant co-sleeping deaths that shouldn't be dismissed.

The adults should bear some responsibility for the deaths of these little ones. There has to be some accountability. There should be some deterrent in place to protect these innocent victims.

Enough.

Shaniyla N. Malone: Co-Sleeping Death?

One-month-old Shaniyla N. Malone died Monday while co-sleeping with her mother.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A 1-month-old girl died early Monday while sleeping with her mother and two siblings in a full-size bed in their Milwaukee home, according to a medical examiner's report released Monday.

Shaniyla N. Malone was unresponsive when her mother, Sheila Malone, 24, awakened at 4:12 a.m., about three hours after the mother, baby and two other children, ages 3 and 4, went to bed in the 3800 block of W. Hampton Ave., the report says.

Malone's death is at least the eighth co-sleeping infant death in Milwaukee County this year, according to a Journal Sentinel count based on medical examiner's reports.

According to the medical examiner's report on Shaniyla N. Malone's death:

The family had a normal day Sunday, including an outing to the lakefront. Sheila Malone gave the baby a bottle about midnight, and they went to bed around 1 a.m., with the mother in the middle, the two older children closest to the wall - on opposite ends of the bed - and the baby on her back on an adult pillow on the outer side of the mattress.

Malone told authorities she spontaneously awoke at 4:12 a.m. Monday, because she had fallen asleep with her pants on, and wanted to take them off. She got out of bed, removed her pants and noticed that the baby, still on the adult pillow, appeared blue. Nothing was covering the baby's face, and she was not lying on top of the comforter, the mother told investigators.

When she realized Shaniyla wasn't breathing, Malone began to scream, picked up the baby, and ran to another bedroom where Malone's brother and his girlfriend were sleeping. They called 911, and the dispatcher coached Malone on how to perform CPR, which she did until rescue workers arrived. There was no sign of trauma, according to the report.

Malone told investigators she didn't wake up on top of the baby and "did not feel she overlaid on the infant." The full-size bed was covered by a comforter. The mattress was soft and uneven, and the box spring was propped up on several milk crates.

It was Malone's practice to sleep with her babies, she told authorities. Her fourth child was not at home when the baby died.

Malone told authorities she was on maternity leave from a day care center and did not own a crib.

This is so tragic.

Shaniyla had "no apparent health complications" after being born by cesarean section on April 9.

I don't understand why this mother of four, a day care center worker, wouldn't provide her own infant with a safe sleeping environment.

An infant shouldn't be sleeping on a surface like an adult pillow. The risk of suffocation is too great.

The article says nothing about the mother's condition, such as whether she had consumed alcohol or drugs before going to sleep. We only know she feel asleep with her pants on.

Did the baby girl have a health problem that caused her death, or was it directly due to the unsafe sleeping environment? At this point, that's unknown.

The baby's death is terribly sad, whatever the circumstances.

If Shaniyla died due to her mother's negligence, I think she should be held accountable for the death.

Maybe if adults faced a penalty for their irresponsibility in co-sleeping with infants they wouldn't do it.

Co-sleeping deaths aren't accidents. They're 100 percent preventable.

Co-Sleeping and Dead Babies - Milwaukee County

A first-of-its kind study is adding to the case against co-sleeping.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Three out of every four Milwaukee County babies who suffocated in their sleep or died of SIDS in 2007 and 2008 were sleeping with an adult or with another child, according to a first-of-its kind analysis of infant fatalities.

Co-sleeping was a factor in 10 of the 11 suffocations that occurred in the county during that time period.

It was a factor in 28 out of 40 deaths attributed to sudden infant death syndrome.

The analysis, conducted by the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office and by the Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin, comes amid a widening debate among those who extol co-sleeping as beneficial to mother and child and community health officials who say co-sleeping is unsafe.

"If you sleep with your child," said Milwaukee County Medical Examiner Christopher Happy, "you are playing a kind of Russian roulette."

...An analysis of co-sleeping and infant death in Milwaukee County has never been done before, Happy said.

His office and the Health Alliance were compiling a larger report on infant death in Milwaukee County. Researchers were so startled by the unsafe sleeping statistics that they decided to release them before the rest of the report was completed.

"Our focus is prevention," Happy said. "We thought it was important for the community to get the numbers out there right away."

Researchers examined the deaths of all 203 Milwaukee County infants 12 months or younger who died in 2007 and 2008 and whose deaths were reported to the medical examiner's office.

Researchers, combing through reports, isolated the deaths that occurred while infants were sleeping or while they were in sleep environments. Researchers classified them as "unintended sleep related deaths."

Nonpreventable deaths caused by disease, such as congenital birth defects, were not included.

The deaths of 51 infants - 25% of all deaths - were unintended sleep related deaths.

Researchers broke this number into two groups: Infants who suffocated and infants who died of SIDS.

Eleven of the 51 infants suffocated. Ten of those suffocated while co-sleeping, usually with an adult.

The other 40 infants died from SIDS.

Some 70% of the infants who died of SIDS - 28 out of 40 - were co-sleeping with an adult or with an adult and another child.

Sleep environment was so clearly a factor in SIDS deaths that Happy has changed the way such deaths are recorded on Milwaukee County death certificates.

SIDS, he said, is a relatively new diagnosis, about 30 years old. It is a catch-all category, defined as the death of an infant less than a year old whose fatal episode began while the infant was asleep and whose death can not be explained after a thorough investigation.

"SIDS is basically a name we have applied to cases with an undetermined cause of death," Happy said.

If an infant dies of SIDS but investigators determine the child was co-sleeping, an unsafe sleep environment cannot be ruled out as contributing to the child's death. SIDS deaths involving co-sleeping are now recorded on Milwaukee County death certificates as SIDS Category II.

"We are trying to separate out real SIDS that occurs in a crib that is properly used," he said. "It's a more honest way to say we don't know."

That's quite a distinction to make on death certificates, differentiating from "real SIDS" and SIDS involving co-sleeping.

Co-sleeping proponents aren't happy with the City of Milwaukee Health Department's campaign against the practice of co-sleeping.

...The debate over co-sleeping is sometimes characterized as a cultural one, one that ignores the realities and traditions of American minority groups.

The Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, for example, offers tips on its Web site (www.bhcw.org) on how to safely co-sleep with infants, noting that "telling caregivers to not co-sleep is not enough when many will do it anyhow."

That's the "free condoms for school kids" argument.

They're going to do it anyway so the emphasis should be on safety rather than curbing the behavior.

Regarding co-sleeping, isn't it enough to educate caregivers that they are putting the baby's life at risk? Isn't that a huge deterrent to not "do it anyhow"?

Many co-sleeping advocates insist that it can be done safely, instead blaming drug and alcohol use as critical factors in the babies' deaths.

Though many recent co-sleeping death cases have involved an irresponsible adult under the influence, that's not always the case.

Many mothers, regardless of race or ethnicity, embrace co-sleeping as a healthy practice, one that deepens the bonds between mother and child.

Julie Ticcioni is a 33-year-old mother who lives in Brookfield and has chosen to sleep with each of her six children. She is troubled by Milwaukee's safe-sleep campaign.

"I get disgusted," Ticcioni said. "I get angry."

No one would accuse Ticcioni of being a thoughtless or unloving mother. She home-schools her children. She works as a doula and a natural child birth educator. She and her husband believe the child-rearing decisions they make are in the best interest of their children.

She says Milwaukee's campaign against co-sleeping is unhelpful and offensively morbid.

"People are going to do it," she said.

"Instead of depicting that horrible, horrible outcome, they should be focusing on safe co-sleeping."

City officials disagree.

"There is no such thing as safe bed-sharing," said the Health Department's Anna Benton, director of family and community health services.

She said that while she recognizes that bed-sharing is part of many cultures and traditions, "bed-sharing is a behavior."

"It's an individual decision we are trying to discourage by providing facts."

But traditions are hard to change.

Perhaps no one knows that as well as Sarah, a 35-year-old mother of four whose 8-month-old daughter, Elena, died in September when, left alone in an adult bed, slipped to the floor and died with a blanket wrapped around her throat.

"You die along with them," said Sarah, who for her family's security asked that her last name not appear in the newspaper.

"That is the hardest part, trying to find your way back. You are never, never, never the same."

Sarah shared her bed with all her children. It was, she says, the right thing to do.

And, she says, she would do it again.

Sarah's 8-month old daughter died because she was sleeping in an adult bed, yet Sarah, mother of four, says she would do it again.

WHAT?

Sarah says:

"You die along with them."

"That is the hardest part, trying to find your way back. You are never, never, never the same."

No.

She is the same. She says she'd do it again. Although she suffered the loss of her daughter, she didn't learn from her baby girl's death.

That is stunning.

Sarah says she died along with her daughter, but she'd do it again.

She must have a death wish.

Co-Sleeping - ANOTHER Dead Baby

Of course.

There was no doubt this would happen.

From WTMJ:

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner says a 3 month-old baby girl has died from co-sleeping with family. The girl's 18 year-old mother says she put the child to bed on one side of her Saturday night and she put her 2 year-old son on her other side before falling asleep.

Eighteen years old and this person already has given birth to two kids. One is now 2 years old and one was 3 months old.

Does the mother have a job? Is she married? How can an 18-year-old provide for two kids? Does she get support, financial and emotional, from her parents?

Not all 18-year-old mothers are irresponsible. This one is.

YOU DON'T SLEEP IN THE SAME BED WITH A 3-MONTH-OLD BABY.

The Investigation Report says the mother told investigators she stays up late on the weekends to be with her kids. She says she went to bed with them about 5:00am Sunday morning and woke up between 9:00am and 10:00am Sunday. The teen says she fixed the baby some formula and tried to feed the child. The mother claims the baby would not wake up to take the bottle but the infant was making bubbling noises with her mouth.

What?

If you can't wake a 3-month-old after at least four hours of sleep, that's not normal. That should have been alarming.

She keeps her children up until 5:00 AM? She wants to spend time with her 2-year-old son so she doesn't put him to bed on weekends until it's almost morning. That's not staying up late. That's staying up all night. I don't know how the little boy manages to stay awake.

The mother's version of events sounds like she made up the story.

The mother says she went back to bed with both of her children and that it was normal for her to sleep with them. She told detectives she did not cover the infant with blankets. The mother says at some point her phone went off and she got up. She says the child's father came into the doorway of the bedroom and yelled that the baby had blood on her nose. The mom says they tried to do CPR but it didn't help.

Obviously, the City of Milwaukee Health Department's campaign to educate mothers on the risks of co-sleeping, "Safe Sleep for Your Baby" didn't help this mother.

She's 18 years old and she has a dead daughter, because she was irresponsible.

If the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner is correct in saying that the 3 month-old baby girl died from co-sleeping, then the mother caused her daughter's death. It was entirely preventable, 100 percent avoidable.

The father told investigators he only went into the room after hearing the mom scream something was wrong with the child. He claims he saw the mother pick the baby up after realizing something was wrong.

The mom denies rolling over on the baby.

So we have conflicting accounts of what happened.

That's not surprising.

Sadly, it won't be surprising when there's a report of yet another co-sleeping death. It will happen because parents and caregivers of babies are ignoring the warnings.

Maybe this negligence to provide a safe sleeping environment for one's child, resulting in the child's death, will end when the adults are held accountable for their role in the deaths of these precious, innocent children, the co-sleeping victims.

Inexcusable.
____________________

More details, from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A 3-month-old girl died Sunday after sharing an adult bed with her mother and another child inside the family's south side home, according to a Milwaukee County medical examiner's report.

The infant, Keilysha M. Ruiz, was pronounced dead about 12:30 p.m. inside the home in the 1800 block of W. Rogers St.

According to the report:

The child's mother, Keila M. Torres, told investigators the infant seemed healthy before going to sleep. The infant, Torres and Torres' 2-year-old son slept in the same bed Sunday morning.

Torres tried to feed the infant at one point early Sunday, but the baby would not drink from her bottle so they went back to bed. The baby was found unresponsive on the bed later Sunday morning.

Torres told investigators she had gotten out of bed to get her cell phone when the infant's father, Josue E. Ruiz-Caballero, came into the room and saw blood near the girl's nose. Ruiz-Caballero, however, said he was awakened by Torres screaming that something was wrong with the infant.

The cause of death has not yet been determined, according to the medical examiner's office.

If the medical examiner has not determined the cause of death for baby Keilysha M. Ruiz, it's irresponsible and sloppy reporting on the part of WTMJ to announce that she died from co-sleeping as opposed to while co-sleeping.

Eugene Kane and Co-Sleeping

Eugene Kane thinks that co-sleeping is getting a bad name.

Although the Milwaukee Health Department has launched a campaign to educate parents on the dangers of the practice and the importance of providing their babies with a safe sleep environment, Kane tempers that advice.

Kane wants to alleviate guilt that parents may have about co-sleeping as a result of the city health officials' campaign, along with the media's reporting of infant deaths attributed to unsafe sleeping situations.

Co-sleeping isn't the problem per se, according to Kane.

The problem is not doing it safely.

From Kane's column, in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A rash of infant deaths blamed on co-sleeping has sparked a pretty intense debate.

Spurred by an increase in infant deaths over recent months, the Milwaukee Health Department launched a campaign to discourage the practice of co-sleeping with children and urged parents to use safe sleeping techniques, like always using an uncluttered crib with the child sleeping on his or her back.

But despite those safety warnings, some parents and others think it's not always practical advice for some families. They also insist sleeping with kids can be a loving and even healthy thing as long as safety comes first.

The only thing everyone seems to agree on is that sleeping with a child should never be deadly.

Yeah, I think that everyone should be able to find common ground there. DEATH is not a good outcome from the choice to co-sleep. That's something one would hope to avoid.

According to Kane and his limited sources, the Health Department's educational campaign to prevent infant DEATHS from co-sleeping offers advice that isn't always "practical" for some families. It's an inconvenience, an undue burden.

When co-sleeping is done correctly, it can be a loving, healthy experience.

Patricia McManus, executive director of the Milwaukee Black Health Coalition, thinks the citywide campaign is unrealistic for some residents who regularly sleep with their children and need more education on the issue.

"The Health Department just can't say, 'Don't do it,' " McManus said. "It has to include more than that."

McManus said the issue of co-sleeping is complicated. Although some recent Milwaukee infant deaths involved minorities from poor neighborhoods, the issue wasn't restricted to any one race or income level.

"It's not just about low-income black women or any other group," she said. "This happens with everybody."

Due to the media's attention, she worried that any open discussion about the dangers of co-sleeping could be driven underground by people who feared being judged by society.

"Nobody wants to admit they do it now with all the attention," she said. "So it will be harder to educate them."

Sonya Jongsma Knauss, editor and general manager of MilwaukeeMoms.com (owned by the Journal Sentinel), has written about co-sleeping and shared a bed with three of her four children. She said the media's treatment of the infant deaths has given the practice a bad name.

"I think co-sleeping has been unfairly vilified," said Knauss, a former Journal Sentinel editorial board member. She questioned the idea that co-sleeping was inherently dangerous.

Knauss noted co-sleeping was more prevalent in other countries, including parts of Europe and Japan, where studies show a lower rate of child mortality than in the United States.

Rather than issue edicts against co-sleeping, the Health Department should educate parents, Knauss said.

"So many factors figure into infant mortality," Knauss said. "Co-sleeping, done safely, has not been proven beyond doubt to be more dangerous than crib sleeping.

"In fact, some studies show it's safer and better for both mom and baby."

It seems reasonable to me for city health officials to step up their efforts to warn residents about the possible dangers of co-sleeping with children. But it's also undeniable that responsible parents have been co-sleeping with their children without incident for decades.

When a careless adult falls asleep in a bed with a baby after drinking or using drugs, that's not representative of what most co-sleeping is about. In those cases involving irresponsible people, perhaps we shouldn't blame it on co-sleeping but instead just say what it really is.

Bad parenting.

Good grief.

The Health Department must be thrilled with Kane's column countering its campaign to save lives.

Kane doesn't offer one concrete bit of information as to how an adult can go about safely sleeping in the same bed with an infant.

He concludes that drug and alcohol use by parents is the problem, not co-sleeping.

While drugs and alcohol can be a contributing factor to infant deaths, the Health Department has many other guidelines for parents to follow when it comes to keeping their babies safe.

Safe Sleep Guidelines
Parents should:

---Put baby to sleep on their back. Babies who sleep on their backs are safer.

---Provide a separate but nearby sleeping environment, meaning: babies should share a room with their parents, but not a bed. The risk of SIDS is reduced when the infant sleeps in the same room as the mother.

---Never put a baby to sleep on a couch or a chair. A crib, bassinette or cradle that conforms to the safety standards is recommended.

---Make sure that the only item in the crib is a mattress, covered by a tight-fitting sheet. No bumper pads, blankets or toys.

---Never lay a baby down on or next to a pillow. Pillows are extremely dangerous for infants as they can cause suffocation.

---Dress the baby in a one-piece sleeper to keep them warm in winter.

---Keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for the whole family. But the house should not be too warm.

---Never smoke in a house where an infant or child lives.

There's no question that babies do sleep in the same bed with adults without tragic results, but that's by the grace of God.

Pillows and loose sheets can suffocate a baby in a crib.

Are adults going without pillows and blankets and loose sheets in their beds when they practice co-sleeping?

There should be no toys in an infant's crib to prevent suffocation, yet having an adult sleeping with an infant is not a suffocation risk?

That's ridiculous.

If a small stuffed toy poses a risk, then certainly the suffocation risk becomes much greater when the infant is in bed with an adult weighing 100 or 200 or more pounds.

Kane should do a column detailing exactly how parents and caregivers can co-sleep with infants safely.

Specifically, how is a safe sleep environment for a baby achieved in an adult bed and with an adult as a sleep partner? What are the guidelines? Kane doesn't say.

Kane has done the community a real disservice here by undercutting the efforts of the Health Department to educate the public and save lives.

It's irresponsible and bad journalism and could contribute to an increase in Milwaukee's infant death toll due to co-sleeping.