DAYTON -- Medical experts stress parents should never sleep with infants, although it's very tempting when you're sleep deprived and you're trying to comfort your crying baby. But it's a common mistake that can sometimes lead to tragic consequences.
"I check up on her as much as I can I try to be involved with everything she does," first time father Jemar Young said.
He says he never leaves the side of his little girl Jemiya. As a brand new parent, he couldn't imagine losing his baby to something so preventable.
"It's sad for anybody you never know what the baby could have been here she could have been the next president,' Young said.
Unfortunately, so many new parents don't know what to do.
One baby dies every six weeks in Montgomery County because of unsafe sleep practices and in Ohio 7.7 out of every 1,000 babies die before their first birthday. That's the 11th worst in the country.
"We know the statistics we've been trying to get the word out and now it's going to be parents decisions to make sure they have safe sleep environments for the children," said Jessica Saunders, injury prevention coordinator at Dayton Children's.
Those safe environments can be spelled out with the ABC's of safe sleep.
The baby should be Alone on their Back and in a Crib, not a couch or a bean bag. The Children's hospital has several resources from classes to online articles to help the new parents.
We asked Saunders if there is ever a time when it's okay to sleep with your baby?
"No. I understand you want to be close to your baby but at the end of the day it's going to be best for that baby to sleep alone," she said.
The crib can be in the room with you, but the baby should sleep alone in that crib.
One other tip for new parents, it's important that you if you're taking the baby to a different location like maybe a grandparents house that there is a safe location for the baby to sleep. Also, something you may not think about, a car seat. It's not a safe sleep spot. A car seat is meant to keep a baby safe in a car, not meant for sleeping.
Click here for more baby sleeping tips.
Connect with ABC 22/FOX 45 Reporter Wale Aliyu on Facebook and Twitter.
"I check up on her as much as I can I try to be involved with everything she does," first time father Jemar Young said.
He says he never leaves the side of his little girl Jemiya. As a brand new parent, he couldn't imagine losing his baby to something so preventable.
"It's sad for anybody you never know what the baby could have been here she could have been the next president,' Young said.
Unfortunately, so many new parents don't know what to do.
One baby dies every six weeks in Montgomery County because of unsafe sleep practices and in Ohio 7.7 out of every 1,000 babies die before their first birthday. That's the 11th worst in the country.
"We know the statistics we've been trying to get the word out and now it's going to be parents decisions to make sure they have safe sleep environments for the children," said Jessica Saunders, injury prevention coordinator at Dayton Children's.
Those safe environments can be spelled out with the ABC's of safe sleep.
The baby should be Alone on their Back and in a Crib, not a couch or a bean bag. The Children's hospital has several resources from classes to online articles to help the new parents.
We asked Saunders if there is ever a time when it's okay to sleep with your baby?
"No. I understand you want to be close to your baby but at the end of the day it's going to be best for that baby to sleep alone," she said.
The crib can be in the room with you, but the baby should sleep alone in that crib.
One other tip for new parents, it's important that you if you're taking the baby to a different location like maybe a grandparents house that there is a safe location for the baby to sleep. Also, something you may not think about, a car seat. It's not a safe sleep spot. A car seat is meant to keep a baby safe in a car, not meant for sleeping.
Click here for more baby sleeping tips.
Connect with ABC 22/FOX 45 Reporter Wale Aliyu on Facebook and Twitter.
