The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office held a press conference on Monday, Oct. 6, to discuss the importance of safe sleep practices for newborns.
The conference was held at the beginning of October in honor of Pregnancy, Infant and Child Loss Awareness Month. Staff from neighboring Coroners’ Offices, including those from Greenville and Cherokee Counties, were also present.
“[We want to] bring awareness to and try to prevent the child deaths that we're experiencing in all of our counties in South Carolina, but especially in the Upstate,” said Rusty Clevenger, Spartanburg County Coroner.
According to Jennifer Cason, a deputy coroner with the Greenville County Coroner's Office, the leading cause of death for children every year in Greenville County is an unsafe sleep environment. These numbers have been steadily rising since 2022.
In an effort to combat these rising statistics, the Coroner’s Office also put out a short video for parents or guardians to watch on safe sleep practices. That video can be found here.
Penny Shaw, Program Coordinator for Safe Kids of the Piedmont, spoke at the event — giving parents an easy guide for how to ensure their kids are sleeping safely. Safe Kids of the Piedmont is a program led by Spartanburg Regional Hospital System.
“We want to educate our moms, dads and grandparents on the best way to prevent unsafe sleep deaths,” Shaw said. “And that's through the ABCs of Safe Sleep.”
The ABCs of Safe Sleep is a simple acronym for parents to keep in mind when putting their child to bed. Here’s a breakdown of what each letter means:
“A” is for alone. Babies should be placed in their crib alone, with no other people, stuffed animals, blankets or other objects with them.
“B” is for back. Babies should be placed in the crib on their backs to sleep.
“C” is for crib. Babies should have a safe, designated sleeping area where they are placed alone to sleep.
Shaw mentioned that the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System will provide parents with a crib if they do not have one when they come to deliver their baby at the hospital.
As the month continues, Greenville County Coroner Mike Ellis emphasized the importance of educating parents on this topic, despite how difficult it is to think about infant loss.
“One of the biggest reasons we need to prevent these deaths is so we don't have to explain to a family member why their child passed away,” Ellis said. “Something as simple as not putting a stuffed animal in the crib with your child can be a life-saving event.”
For more information on the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office, visit its website.
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