New Yorkers - UNITE

[Twopeaedpod]

This letter was recently sent out to announce the launching of New York's Office of Children & Family Services' newest campaign - "BABIES SLEEP SAFEST ALONE". In addition to contacting the person who's contact information is in this email, we should try to get accurate co-sleeping information out there to counter this plainly false statement.
Please reply here if you are interested in participating in an initiative to counter this campaign.
- Laura :)

The State Central Register (SCR) has received 89 child fatality reports
> involving co-sleeping since 2006 -- nearly a dozen were called in since
> the beginning of the year. These fatalities occur when adults roll over
> and suffocate the children with whom they are sharing a bed. Nearly 80
> percent of the children killed in co-sleeping accidents were newborn to
> three months old.
>
> These were preventable deaths that cross cultural, racial, ethnic, and
> economic demographics. While we recognize that this is a sensitive issue
> , we need to join together to prevent these co-sleeping accidents from
> continuing in New York State.
>
> On May 7th, the Office of Children and Family Services is launching a
> "BABIES SLEEP SAFEST ALONE" public education campaign statewide. I was
> hoping that you would be willing to coordinate the campaign launch in
> your county. By leveraging our joint resources, we hope to educate
> caregivers and save children's lives.
>
> We need to get out the message that sleeping with a baby can be
> dangerous when adults have been drinking alcohol or using drugs, are
> overweight, or are sleeping on a small bed or couch.
>
> The "BABIES SLEEP SAFEST ALONE" public education campaign will be
> comprised of the following:
> * Simultaneous media launches in every county across the state
> * A "BABIES SLEEP SAFEST ALONE" English and Spanish-language radio
> campaign across New York State targeting caregivers 18 to 39 years old
>
> * Distribution of 200,000 "BABIES SLEEP SAFEST ALONE" posters,
> pamphlets, and promotional items through the NYS Office of Children and
> Family Services "NY Loves Safe Babies Campaign" network, which includes
> professional associations, doctors' offices, child care providers,
> family resource centers, local social services offices, county health
> offices, babysitter training programs, WIC centers, maternity hospitals
> & birthing centers, prenatal programs, adolescent pregnancy programs,
> kinship care programs, Healthy Families New York Home Visiting Programs,
> family & consumer science education programs and the infant industry
>
> * "BABIES SLEEP SAFEST ALONE" Public Service Announcements telecast over
> the Cablevision and Time Warner Cable networks
> * Launch of a "BABIES SLEEP SAFEST ALONE" website and Facebook and
> Myspace pages
> * Links to the OCFS website on state, municipal, contractor, and vendor
> websites
> * Outreach effort to English and Spanish-language daily and weekly
> newspapers and magazines; parenting & family writers, columnists,
> websites and blogs; editorial boards; and television and radio stations
>
> If you are willing and able to participate in this campaign, OCFS will
> provide free posters, brochures, baby bibs, and video and audio PSAs in
> both English and Spanish. (Both the English and Spanish language video
> PSAs are available for viewing on youtube.com. The key search words are
> "co-sleeping psa.") We also will provide a press release that you can
> adapt and distribute to your local media outlets.
>
> The goal is to have simultaneous press conferences in counties across
> the state on May 7th.
> Please call or email OCFS Director of Communications Eddie Borges at
> (518) 473-7793 or edward.borges@ocfs.state.ny.us if you are available to
> participate.
>
> Thank you in advance for your help and support to prevent further
> co-sleeping child fatalities in New York State.
> Best regards,
> Gladys Carrion

[naomifrederickmd]

Thats plain depressing!

Can I do anything to help you?

[PaxMamma]

> We need to get out the message that sleeping with a baby can be
> dangerous when adults have been drinking alcohol or using drugs, are
> overweight, or are sleeping on a small bed or couch.
>

what a terrible example of misrepresenting facts. they take this statement and use it to say cosleeping is unsafe for EVERYONE???? what about the rest of us who aren't drunk or high? blah!

[LisaS]

Please let me know what I can do. Although I do not reside in New York, my in-laws do and I'm sure I can get them to "sign" their name.

[Bikil]

Grrrr, this makes me angry. I don't live in New York, but please let me know if I can help in any way.

[julie]

OK, I just came across this thread and thought I'd take this opportunity to let you guys know what API's working on with regards to Safe Sleep. It's been several years since API revised its sleep guidelines, so I am working with Dr. James McKenna, Co-Founders Barbara & Lysa, and the API Research Group to do just that!

We will have materials for everyone to review and distribute in November, so that after AP Month is over, we can really ramp up the distribution (we're hoping for a brochure and a 1-2 page summary of research that supports co-sleeping).

As with all things API, this will be very grass-roots in nature and we'll need everyone's help in getting the materials to doctor's offices and departments of health across the country. We're finding that in many cases, deparments of health are distributing anti-co-sleeping materials simply because that's what they have access to. In one case in particular, someone in a state department of health said, "I sleep with my baby, but this [anti co-sleeping brochure] is all we've been given to hand out."

Together, we can change that! Watch API's eNewsletters for more in the coming months.

[Cadie's_mom]

I live in upstate NY and am an RN in the nursery of a local hospital. I am wondering if this literature is still available because I'd like to give the head of the neonatology department a copy. I don't think it will change their minds, but it may give them some new perspective. The current information we are supposed to be giving parents is that babies should ALWAYS sleep alone. It took me quite some time to even admit to most of my colleagues that I was cosleeping and even now there is one neonatologist that I would NEVER reveal this to! I love my cosleeping arrangement and wish other frustrated parents out there could get more information about how rewarding it can be. Thanks!