Resources
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
It’s important for all caregivers, including: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, babysitters, child care providers, and everyone who might care for baby to learn about safe infant sleep to help reduce baby’s risk. The AAP has updated their Safe Sleep Recommendations: Back is Best.
The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the need for infants to sleep on their backs on flat noninclined surfaces without soft bedding and details the risks of bed-sharing under various scenarios within its first update to safe infant sleep recommendations since 2016.
National Institute of Health (NIH)
There are many misunderstandings about safe sleep. Learn about the myths and facts about SIDS and Safe Infant Sleep.
Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
There are about 3,500 sleep-related deaths among US babies each year and over 22% of mothers reported not placing their baby on his or her back to sleep as recommended. Visit gov/safesleep for more data on this subject, plus tips, shareable graphics and videos.
How can we help?
The Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) program, funded by the Tennessee Department of Health is an action-oriented community process that continually assesses, monitors and works to improve service systems and community resources for women, infants and families. The FIMR program provides support, resource referrals, and information to parents and families whose lives have been affected by the tragic death of an infant or loss of a pregnancy. The program reviews fetal and infant deaths, working at the community level to formulate programs and influence policy that will lead to improving birth outcomes.
What does FIMR do with the Knox County community?
As health care providers, we want to better understand why these tragedies occur. We talk to mothers and families who have recently experienced the loss of a baby during pregnancy or infancy and who are open to sharing their story. Parents and family members can tell us what their experiences with medical and social service providers were like. The more we know, the more we can help.
Through the FIMR process, we attempt to learn more about the causes and factors related to these early deaths. This information helps local agencies improve or develop better services to address the needs of women, infants and families in our community. Parents who have participated in an interview often say that it was a positive experience that honors the life and memory of their child.
If you have recently experienced the death of a baby during pregnancy, after birth, or up to one year of age, whatever the cause, please contact us. To subscribe to our All Things FIMR newsletter, click here.
For questions, contact:
Public Health Educator – Adrien Jones
adrien.jones@knoxcounty.org
865-215-5712
FIMR Health Outreach Specialist - Ty Roberts
ty.roberts@knoxcounty.org
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