Articles Tagged with suffocation

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By David Wolf, Attorney
Teddy Bear Sleeping on MoonDay care centers are relied upon to provide care for children so that parents can support the family.  While many would prefer to care for their own children during the day and avoid day care centers completely, the economics and practicality of the matter is that many parents have no other viable choice but to utilize day care centers for their children.  Tragically, deaths occur at day are centers from incidents that are foreseeable and preventable.  An otherwise normal day turns into a nightmare that lasts a lifetime when a child dies as a result of neglect, negligence, carelessness, and even intentional acts.  Children especially infants and toddlers are vulnerable for injuries and medical complications that do not typically occur with elementary age and older children. In particular, infants and toddlers are at risk for complications that take place during a common activity that takes place at just about every day care center – big and small – in the United States.  This common activity, to the surprise of many people, is sleep time or nap time.  Infants lack the muscle strength and especially the neck strength during sleep time to lift themselves off of their stomachs.  As such, if an infant is placed on his or her stomach during nap time or simply rolls over on the stomach, this can lead to a very dangerous and even fatal situation.  This is especially problematic if the supervision is lacking, if the facility is understaffed, and / or the child care providers lack the education and training to recognize the risks or to act swiftly to protect the child.  Matters are further complicated when a child is placed in sleeping or napping environment filled with soft pillows, sheets, stuffed animals, a Bobby pillow, and / or a soft mattress.  Any of these items can contribute to a tragic situation in which a child suffers injuries or dies from suffocation, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), asphyxiation, or other similar complications.
Published on:

 By David Wolf, AttorneyPublished by Child Injury Lawyer Blog

Building Block - M - Day Care Center

In day care centers located in South Carolina and throughout the Nation, there is a common danger that many parents and day care center providers do not understand and even ignore.  The common danger to children is present during nap time or sleep time.  There is a risk of suffocation, asphyxiation, and SIDS related injuries and deaths during sleep time or nap time.   Many child care providers and day care center providers swaddle newborns and infants in day care centers. Swaddling is the practice of wrapping an infant in blankets snuggly so that movement is limited.
Pediatric experts have mixed opinions as to the safety of swaddling in the home and day care center.  Many experts warn against the use of swaddling that there is a potential increased risk of suffocation, asphyxiation, and SIDS related injuries that may be associated with swaddling according to some reports and studies.  Some pediatricians and child care providers are proponents of the practice because it tends to calm infants and allows them to sleep for longer periods of time.  Again, others are against the practice of swaddling due to potential health and safety risks. 
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