October is SIDS Awareness Month

On September 5th, Governor Henry signed a proclamation naming October as SIDS awareness month.

For a copy of the proclamation click on the link :Oklahoma Proclamation

A resolution is also on it's way throught the U.S. Congress. The resolution "Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day" has passed through the U.S. House of Representatives and is now on it's way to the U.S. Senate.

For a copy of the resolution click on the link below:

Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

A Few Facts about SIDS

• SIDS risk reduction efforts have resulted in a dramatic decrease in SIDS death by nearly 60% since the "Back to Sleep" campaign was first announced in 1992, the equivalent of sparing the lives of 3,500 babies a year.

• SIDS is still the major cause of death in the United States for infants one week and older, still claiming the lives of approximately 2,100 babies every year, which is more than cancer, juvenile diabetes, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic fobrosis and muscular dystrophy combined for children up to fourteen years of age.

• African-American infants are at more then twice the risk of caucasian infants, Native-American infants are at two and one-half times the risk and one-fifth of all SIDS deaths are occuring in child care settings.