“Cribs for Kids” Initiative
Chad Olinde, CEO, with Valerie Dee Sparks Jarreau, CNO, are seen with one of the cribs that is available for families who qualify for the “Cribs for Kids” initiative.
Every year in the United States, approximately 3,700 babies die from sleep-related causes. The deaths occur due to accidental suffocation, asphyxia, or undetermined causes during sleep. Pointe Coupee General Hospital’s “Cribs for Kids” is an effort to prevent these deaths by educating parents and caregivers on the importance of practicing safe sleeping and by providing portable cribs to families who, otherwise, may not be able to afford a safe place for their infants to sleep.
“The Pointe Coupee Coroner’s office has reported some infant deaths that may be attributable to unsafe sleeping conditions. We feel that providing mothers with beds will help to alleviate this problem”, stated Chad Olinde, PCGH Administrator.
Did you know?
We are a designated Safe Haven for babies. This means that any parent may anonymously leave their infant child, up to 30 days old, with the intent of placing the child up for adoption, without fear of prosecution. In order to meet the criteria for Safe Haven, the child must be given to a hospital employee and not simply left unattended.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is opposed to bed-sharing: It “should be avoided at all times” with a “full-term normal-weight infant younger than 4 months,” the AAP writes in its 2016 recommendations for pediatricians. The organization says the practice puts babies at risk for sleep-related deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation, and accidental strangulation.
Residents of Pointe Coupee Parish who are below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines qualify for our “Cribs for Kids” initiative where one crib per family will be issued. To make an inquiry for this initiative, please email Lisa Patterson.
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