The SWLA Safe Sleep Task Force is comprised entirely of volunteers who seek to help parents, caregivers and the community learn and understand safe sleep guidelines for their infants.

The team envisions a day when no baby dies from being placed in an unsafe sleep environment because all parents and caregivers implement safe sleep practices — and the team’s getting closer to achieving that goal, said Charlie Hunter Jr., a task force member and the chief investigator for the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office.

“We are required by law to do what is called a Child Death Review Panel — which involves the coroner’s office, local law enforcement, emergency medical services and various agencies — and in 2009 the majority of the nearly dozen cases we reviewed were actually preventable deaths due to unsafe sleeping environments,” Hunter said.
“That was from children or infants who were in bed with their parents or caregivers or a sibling and the cause of death was accidental suffocation.”

Hunter said the horrific number is what lead to the creation of the SWLA Safe Sleep Task Force, which is made up of volunteers from the coroner’s office, local law enforcement agencies, ambulance providers, area hospitals and local pediatricians.

“All of us come together and volunteer our time to make this successful and that involves monthly classes for new and expecting parents, grandparents, baby sitters and caregivers on the importance on both Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and safe sleep,” he said.

Those who attend receive a free Pack ‘N’ Play portable crib to ensure they have a safe place for their baby to sleep.

The group also hosts a yearly community baby shower in which prizes are given out and speakers lend advice on safe sleep habits.

“All we do is completely free and the way we do that is through donations from various businesses and also we hold a yearly Stroll ‘N’ Roll event that is named after a child who passed away due to an unsafe sleeping environment,” he said.

Hunter said since the task force’s creation, there has been a 66 percent reduction in infant deaths.

“Calcasieu Parish has actually been highlighted through the national Safe Sleep for Kids Initiative as one of the most successful and active programs in the country,” he said. “That is simply because the community has bought in to the importance of safe sleep and the safe sleep idea is being shared any and everywhere you go.”

Two hospitals in the area — Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women and West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital — have also been designated as Gold-Certified Safe Sleep Hospitals. They are the only two hospitals in the state to have earned that recognition.

The task force wants to do even more for the community and is asking for help this weekend for its Safe Sleep Sack-Sewing Day set for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at First Christian Church, 1401 Argin St. in Sulphur.

“It’s something that started a few years ago through the Calcasieu Cut Ups Quilt Guild and they decided that besides giving out the Pack ‘N’ Plays to the families, they wanted to give out sleep sacks,” he said. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that when you put an infant down and use extra blankets and bedding to keep them warm it is known to cause potential hazards. What we recommend is a sleep sack, a wearable onesie with the infant’s feet tucked into what would feel like a bottom of a blanket.”

He said the sleep sack keeps the infant completely warm and is considered 100 percent safe.

Hunter said typically 300 Pack ‘N’ Plays are given out each year. The group’s goal is to make 300 safe sleep sacks to go with them.

Volunteers can bring their sewing machines, scissors and thread; the safe sleep pattern will be provided. For those who can’t sew, their helping hands are still needed.

“You don’t have to be able to sew,” Hunter said. “You can come and help cut out the patterns, do the zippers, glue. If you want to bring fabric and material, you certainly can and we’ll have task force members there to make sure the material isn’t too heavy or too thick.”