Caring for Babies: Death by Suffocation Cases Too Common in Texas
According to KXAN, it is relatively common to hear to infant deaths in Central Texas. Most of the time, these deaths occur when a baby is set in his or her crib face down and the child edges toward the bumper of the crib, where he or she suffocates there. This tragic incident happened to Aiden Lopez, a baby who was only six months old when he suffocated in his crime. The baby’s grandmother tried to administer CPR upon finding the child unconscious in his room, but it was not enough. The child was STAR-Flighted to a local hospital, but the EMTs said that there was probably nothing that they could do because the child had breathed in his own carbon dioxide.
As this terrible tragedy shows, crib bumpers can be excessively dangerous for small infants. Aiden Lopez’s grandmother says that she feels she will always have to live with the tragic reality that she bought that crib bumper and installed it in the crib in order to keep the child form knocking his head against the bars. According to the Travis County Medical Examiner, there were 22 infant deaths in Central Texas in the year 2011. Ten of those deaths occurred in Travis County. In 2012, there were 23 infant deaths of this nature, and 8 of those happened in Travis County. This proves that danger can be present in an infant’s crib and non-breathable fabrics can be incredibly harmful or tragically fatal for an innocent child.
According to medical experts and law enforcement officers, these sad deaths are preventable. If people were more careful with the way that they lay their babies down to sleep then there would not be so many infant suffocations. In Austin, the police have already investigated 13 infant suffocation cases in the past two years. Many times the parents forget to swaddle their baby or will put the baby in bed with another child where the infant will suffocate.
Most infant suffocation incidents happen when the baby is sleeping with another family member. If you want more information about infant suffocation contact an Austin personal injury lawyer today. Also, if you lost a child because of a caretaker’s negligence, then you have the right to seek compensation from that party that is responsible. You will want a personal injury lawyer there to advocate on your behalf and prove that you are compensated. Experts agree that babies are safest in a crib where they are alone, on their back, and there are not smothering fabrics such as thick bumper pads, thick blankets, or stuffed animals. Also, babies should be monitored and checked on regularly to make sure that they are sleeping soundly and safely. If you need more information ask a lawyer at the Loewy Law Firm for assistance.