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Adopt and present a resolution recognizing October 2019 as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month in Solano County (Supervisor Vasquez)
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Published Notice Required? Yes ___ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ___ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
Solano County Health & Social Services (H&SS) recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt and present a resolution recognizing October 2019 as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month in Solano County to support activities that promote risk reduction and awareness of safe sleep practices.
SUMMARY:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes October of each year as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month. H&SS’ Public Health Division, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Bureau joins the CDC and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in recognizing October as SIDS Awareness Month to increase public awareness about the importance of SIDS and the steps Solano County residents can take to reduce the risks for SIDS. This resolution acknowledges the commitment by the community to reduce rates of SIDS and the need to follow safe sleep recommendations to promote and protect the health of infants and their families.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The staff time associated with the preparation of the agenda item is nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget. The costs associated with preparation and purchase of the resolution materials are included in the Board’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget. Staff time associated with planning SIDS Awareness activities is included in the Department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget. There is no additional impact to the County General Fund.
DISCUSSION:
H&SS, Public Health Division, MCAH Bureau sponsors activities in Solano County throughout the year, and especially during the month of October, to promote awareness and risk reduction of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Together with the CDC and CDPH, H&SS, Public Health Division, MCAH recognizes that infant deaths from SIDS are a great loss for Solano County families and the community; therefore, SIDS should be addressed as a significant public health issue.
SIDS is defined as the sudden death of an infant, that is less than one year of age, that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation is conducted. According to the CDC, SIDS is the fourth leading cause of death among all infants in the United States and is the leading cause of death among infants between one month and one year of age. According to CDPH, SIDS is the third leading cause of death for all infants in the State of California. SIDS also disproportionally affects American Indian/Alaska Native and Non-Hispanic, African-American infants. In 2018, SIDS accounted for two (2) infant deaths in Solano County. Because the number of SIDS deaths in Solano County is small, they may vary greatly from year to year. We have not seen a statistically significant trend upward or downward in the last 20 years.
The cause of SIDS remains unknown; however, risk factors for SIDS have been identified, which include prematurity, placing a baby on its stomach to sleep, maternal smoking, and co-sleeping, especially on couches. In 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics published an updated set of recommendations for reducing the risk of SIDS. These recommendations include placing babies on a firm surface and on their backs to sleep, room-sharing without bed-sharing, never smoking around the baby, not letting a baby overheat during sleep, and keeping soft objects out of a baby’s sleep area. Prenatal care, breastfeeding, immunizations, and regular well-child checks are also important recommendations, as well as placing infants in the belly-down position for time to play while supervised and awake.
In FY2018/19, the MCAH Bureau collaborated with Solano Family Health Services clinics, Solano Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, and a local SIDS parent who also serves as the Fire Chief of the Vacaville Fire Department to film a 16-minute Facebook Live discussion about SIDS, safe sleep environment practices, and risk reduction recommendations. The Facebook Live event, which is still available on the Solano Sheriff-Coroner Office’s Facebook page, has reached more than 5,400 people and has been shared 27 times. The MCAH Bureau plans to re-share this video on the Solano Public Health Facebook page in October 2019 to disseminate the information to new viewers and to remind parents and other caregivers in Solano about the significance of its message on safe sleep for infants.
During October 2019, SIDS awareness and education activities coordinated by the MCAH Bureau will include publishing educational SIDS-related articles in local print and online newspapers, disseminating information via social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, setting up informational displays at local libraries, providing information at local health fairs and community events, and partnering with local prenatal care and pediatric providers within and outside of the Solano County Family Health Services (FHS) clinics to provide current information about safe sleep practices to expectant parents and their families.
The MCAH Bureau recognizes the significance of its home visiting programs for dissemination of SIDS awareness and education to Solano County families. All newly hired home visitors are required to complete initial training about safe sleep practices within six months of their hire date, and to attend annual refresher trainings thereafter. Home visitors have direct contact with new parents in their homes and can inspect home environments and provide one-on-one education with new parents about SIDS risk reduction and safe sleep practices. Home visitors also address potential socioeconomic and cultural challenges and barriers to creating safe sleep environments for infants in new parents’ homes.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to recognize October 2019 as SIDS Awareness Month in Solano County. This is not recommended as this resolution encourages and supports awareness of the availability and need for education, research, and risk-reduction activities related to SIDS.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Partner agencies joining H&SS, Public Health Division, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Bureau in efforts to reduce risk of SIDS include Solano County prenatal care providers participating in the Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program and Solano Perinatal Network, Partnership HealthPlan of California, First 5 Solano, Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano, the Vacaville Fire Department, and the Solano County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION