HJAR Jan/Feb 2023

42 JAN / FEB 2023 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS ADH CORNER COLUMN ADH CORNER Arkansas continues to have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the nation. INFANT MORTALITY is defined as deaths that occur within the first year of life. The Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion (CDC) ranks Arkansas third for high- est infant mortality rates per 1,000 births in the nation. The state had a 7.4 per 1,000 live births infant mortality rate, with 260 deaths in 2020. In 2021, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 314 infant deaths before their first birthday, although this data is still provisional. Of those deaths, nearly 22% (or 69) were sudden, unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs), while 1.59% (or five) were specifically noted as being caused by accidental suffoca- tion and strangulation in bed. However, those five deaths do not show an accurate picture of sleep-related deaths since those deaths are not always reported on death certificates. To help reduce infant mortality, healthcare providers are encouraged to reinforce what safe sleep practices look like each time they have a visit with a newborn and their parents. In the United States, there are about 3,500 sleep-related deaths amongAmerican babies each year according to the CDC. These deaths highlight how vital a newborn’s environment is when sleeping. New information has led to changes in how we recommend parents put their newborns to sleep. Since the 1990s, parents have been encouraged to place ba- bies on their backs for sleep through the Safe to Sleep campaign (formerly called Back to Sleep), which has produced positive changes SAFE SLEEP for Arkansas’ Babies