The leading cause of infant mortality in Los Angeles County is suffocation while sleeping, such as while sharing a bed or sleeping in unsafe environments, like in a cluttered crib, according to county authorities.
Health and education groups ICAN and First 5 LA are expected to join LA County officials Wednesday to reveal new data derived from the Safe Sleep for Baby, a first of its kind public education campaign in the county.
Among the findings: one in every five days, a baby in LA County suffocates while sleeping. Between 2008 and 2011, more babies died from suffocation due to unsafe sleep than from all other reasons for accidental deaths for children younger than 14 combined.
The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at California Hospital Medical Center, LA Center for Women’s Health, 1513 S. Grand Ave., Suite 400, Los Angeles.
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