Two Long Island infant deaths blamed on co-sleeping as Suffolk County ups warning to parents
Two more infants have died on Long Island from suspected co-sleeping, the practice of parents sleeping close to their babies in the same bed, officials say.
An alarming new report from Suffolk County showed 31 suspected cases of infant deaths from co-sleeping over the last four years.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine is intensifying a warning issued last year about co-sleeping as it appears to be growing in the county.
More infant deaths from co-sleeping suspected in Suffolk County
Suffolk County's latest two infant deaths come after at least six babies died in 2024 and 10 in 2023.
"The newborns depend on you. They can't even rescue themselves if they get under the covers," Romaine said.
"We were seeing these happening at a rate of about one per month, and that was certainly alarming. One is enough," Suffolk County Deputy Executive Sylvia Diaz said.
It's more than a public plea.
The county's health department is reminding local hospitals and providers that free cribs are available to families who need them. They're also being urged to educate women in their third trimester about the "ABCs" of safe sleep.
"Alone and on your back and in a crib," Dr. Gregson Pigott, the county health commissioner, said. "Sometimes you have things like blankets or teddy bears that could be an obstacle or can suffocate a baby."
Half of infant deaths linked to "unsafe sleep environment"
Over the last four years, Suffolk's medical examiner, Dr. Odette Hall, found half the county's infant deaths were "associated with an unsafe sleep environment."
"Between 2021 and 2022, we have had two confirmed overlays that have happened just from breast feeding," Hall said. "The bedding is excessive. The pillows are excessive."
Experts say they can't always get to the bottom of so-called "overlay" deaths. Teams go back to the house to perform a doll reenactment, but parents in the throes of tragedy may not be fully honest.
"We have to have the adult reporting that they woke up on top of the baby," Hall said.
Suffolk is forming a child fatality review team to look for socioeconomic or cultural patterns.
"Some cultures support children sleeping together with their parents. It's very difficult to break through the cultural norms sometimes," Dr. John Imhof, Suffolk's social services commissioner, said.
Their goal is to bring the number of co-sleeping deaths down to zero.
