POSTS WITH TAG: sids

Baby Heartbreaking

Mom Convicted for Not Heeding Co-Sleeping Warnings

Posted by Julie Ryan Evans
on Apr 9, 2012 at 11:42 AM

Vanessa Clark's mugshot, taken 11 months after the death of her infant son Tristan.It's hard to find much emotion beyond blame and outrage when it comes to the case of Vanessa Clark. The Texas mother lost a baby, son Christian, in 2009 after he was reportedly suffocated while co-sleeping with her and her husband. In 2010, her 2-month-old son Tristan died in a nearly identical manner -- while co-sleeping in bed with her and her husband. How could she let something like that happen twice?

Now, according to the Houston Press, she's been convicted of felony child endangerment, and faces two years of prison time for what the defense called SIDS deaths. The autopsy couldn't determine the specific cause of death, but there's no evidence that either was anything but horrific accidents. So doesn't she deserve some sympathy?

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Baby Health Check

Smoking Around Your Baby Is Not Cool, Even on the Jersey Shore

Posted by April Peveteaux
on Feb 23, 2012 at 5:00 PM

smoking with babyWe've discussed this before: Smoking and babies don't mix. Although I'm not sure why it's an actual discussion rather than a declaration. But I'm sure some of you will fill me in with your comments. But even if you are totally clear that smoking in your baby's face is wrong, would you be so bold to tell another mom and dad that same thing?

What if you saw a mom strolling down the street puffing away with her baby strapped onto her chest via Baby Bjorn?

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Baby

Does Everyone 'Just Know' When They're Ready to Be a Mom?

Posted by Linda Sharps
on Nov 29, 2011 at 9:01 AM

A few years ago, my husband and I had a friend whose long-term girlfriend had started vigorously hinting that she’d like a ring on her finger. I wondered how the guy would make his decision, since it was obvious he was on the fence about things. Would he eventually pop the question? Would she grow impatient and move on? How would he know if this was the right girl, the one he wanted to spend his life with?

My husband's advice to him was, “Dude, you’ll know when it’s right. You’ll just know.

I didn't tell my husband this at the time, but I thought that was terrible advice. While I’m sure lots of people just know when it’s the right time to embark upon a major lifestyle change, I sure as hell never have.

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Baby

Tragic Death of 4-Month-Old Doesn't Mean Daycare Is Bad for Babies

Posted by Jacqueline Burt
on Oct 21, 2011 at 4:52 PM

cribThere's nothing quite as heartbreaking as the sudden, unexplained death of an infant. When I heard about the 4-month-old baby who was found dead this week after being put down for a nap at a daycare center in Levittown, Long Island, I literally felt physically ill. I can't even begin to wrap my head around the anguish those parents are experiencing.

But there's another reason why this death was tragic. Already the question is being raised: Is a 4-month-old baby too young to be in daycare in the first place?

Not only is this unfair to the parents of this baby and Karen Shriver, the owner of the daycare center (autopsy results aren't in yet, so we don't know why this baby died or if Shriver is at fault), it's unfair to the millions of parents who have no choice but to put their infants in daycare and the millions of loving professionals who care for those babies.

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Baby

This Newfangled Baby Monitor Freaks Me Out

Posted by Linda Sharps
on Sep 7, 2011 at 1:12 PM

Six years ago when my first child was born, we had an audio monitor. If I remember correctly, it would light up with an increasing number of bars depending on the volume of his cry. A five-bar night was a VERY BAD NIGHT INDEED.

By the second baby, I'd graduated to a video monitor, one that came with a grainy black & white camera for each kid. This is the one we still have today, although we're down to one camera aimed at the 3yo, more out of curiosity than anything else. (I like listening to him talk to himself at bedtime.)

Now I see there's a whole new breed of baby monitor out there, and if you ask me, this one's custom-designed to freak any new mom RIGHT THE HELL OUT.

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Baby

Grieving Mom Deserves Welcome Back to Society After Charges Dropped

Posted by Christie Haskell
on Aug 24, 2011 at 5:05 PM

teddy bear in cribAt 16 years old, Nga Truong admitted to smothering her 13-month-old baby, Khyle, with a teddy bear. That was in November of 2008. Truong's life wasn't without tragedy. Back in 2000, when she was 8 years old, her 3-month-old baby brother died while she was in charge of his care.

This month, after three years in custody with no bail, I'm so insanely glad to hear that she's being released as a free woman, all charges of murder dropped. Because really, this could have been anyone.

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Baby

My Son's SIDS Death Nearly Killed Me Too

Posted by Michele Zipp
on Jul 29, 2011 at 10:22 AM

baby boyHandsome AidenJestine Malloy is a mom, an inspiration, and a crusader. I am in awe of her spirit and desire to help people, though I wish she wasn't so knowledgeable about dealing with the loss of a child from sudden infant death syndrome. Jestine's son Aiden passed away from SIDS and she wants to share what she knows and how she survived it, not just for moms worried about SIDS, but for moms who are learning to cope.

This is her story, in her own words.

Learning to Cope: There is life after SIDS.

“I will love you forever, this, I promise.”

The hardest job in the world is undoubtedly being a mother. The job that no one ever wants to have is being a mother who is bereaved.

When my Aiden died on June 15, 2004, I felt like I was in a whirlwind of chaos and misunderstanding. From the moment I found him that morning, cold, lifeless, and grey, until almost six years later, I struggled.

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Baby

SIDS No Longer Cause of Baby Death

Posted by April Peveteaux
on Jul 18, 2011 at 5:00 PM

sids no longer causes baby deathsWhen is the last time you heard about a baby dying from SIDS? In some places it's been years since an actual sudden infant death syndrome diagnosis has been given. Now, these four letters that strike fear into every new mother may actually be obsolete, as some medical examiners say there is always an explanation in these cases. Most of the time, the baby's death is due to suffocation during unsafe sleep practices. Now, those we've seen a lot of here on The Stir.

The SIDS label is attached to any death of a child under 1 year of age that was unexplained even after an autopsy. As more research into the syndrome was done, many preventative measures were recommended, not the least of which was the "back to sleep" campaign that has saved many, many lives. Notably, by helping babies breathe and not suffocate when lying face-down in a crib.

But to parents who lose a baby this way, SIDS is a lot more palatable than hearing your baby died from suffocation.

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Baby

Despite New Warnings, I’m Still Co-Sleeping

Posted by Amy Keyishian
on Jun 7, 2011 at 6:11 PM

cosleeping with pennyI am paranoid about my children’s safety -- almost to the point of irrationality. In fact, I’m so afraid of SIDS that I kept my older daughter next to me in a sidecar co-sleeper well past the age of 12 months, and my younger daughter has moved from said co-sleeper into our bed.

What a cruel irony, then, that a nurse in Florida says that upon re-examining some infant deaths in her area, co-sleeping is the culprit and she discourages co-sleeping in her area.

But when I looked deeper, I made the decision to keep co-sleeping.

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Baby

Should Crib Bumpers Be Illegal?

Posted by Amy Keyishian
on May 31, 2011 at 5:11 PM

Wonder BumpersDid you know we're not supposed to use crib bumpers for a newborn? And then we're not supposed to use them when baby is old enough to stand holding the edge of the crib, either. In fact, we're not supposed to use them at all, and frankly I find the kid-décor industry’s response to this whole mess to be so callous and deplorable, it makes me want no money ever spent on a crib bumper until the end of time.

And yet: I have crib bumpers. What the heck is wrong with me?

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