Why Blankets Are Dangerous For Babies: Mom Warns Parents On Facebook After Child's Death
A Washington mother used Facebook to warn other parents why it's dangerous to let babies sleep with blankets. Jordan DeRosier’s seven-month-old son Sloan was found dead with a blanket wrapped around his head earlier this week. DeRosier has used the social networking site to document her grief and share her experience with others.
Blankets are particularly dangerous for infants in cribs and sleeping quarters where they can get caught over the child's mouth and nose, making it difficult for them to breathe.
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On July 3, DeRosier wrote a tribute to her baby boy, saying:
“Our sweet rainbow warrior, your short time on this earth blessed so many. You were a gift to all who knew you, and an inspiration to all who didn't. Your death has impacted this world, it has left an emptiness felt by so many. Proof that you held with you so much light and grace. You were not able to live out our dreams for you, yet our dreams are where we will find you forever. We will forever be caught in this space between worlds, the space you now exist for us. Our longing for you is eternal, if only your life had been.
You're in the sun, the clouds, the rain. You're every ray, every shadow, every drop we will ever see again.
Sloan Valor Derosier
December 4 2016-July 3 2017”
After receiving accusatory messages blaming her for vaccinating Sloan, DeRosier cleared things up with another post on July 4.
“Initially I had not wanted to explain the detailed circumstances of his death because of my guilt and the fear of condemnation from others. But I will not allow anyone to try and place blame where it does not belong,” she explained. DeRosier went on to describe how the tragic accident happened.
“He was last laid down to bed with this blanket made by his great-great grandmother, and one other blanket, a grey one he had been attached to since birth. They took the grey one he had been found with his head in. He had pulled it through the crib rails somehow and gotten himself stuck in it. You never think it will happen to you. You never think it will be your baby. Please do not put your babies to bed with a blanket. Please. He was 7 months old, I thought because he was crawling, standing on his own, and climbing, that he would be fine with a blanket.”
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Parenting website BabyCenter advises waiting until children are a year old before letting them sleep with blankets. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), it’s best for infants to sleep in the same room as their parents until six months old, but preferably even up to one year. The organization also recommends laying babies on their backs on a firm surface without soft bedding, pillows, toys or blankets.
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