Parents call for strict guidelines on infants sleeping in car seats after loss of infant son.

Even though this story happened elsewhere it could just as easily be one of our own families.

Ali and Derek Dodd from Oklahoma, US, are suffering the loss of their 11 week old son Shepard, who died at a day care after being put to sleep in an unbuckled car seat and  left unsupervised.

The position of his tiny head compromised his airways, causing him to stop breathing. Ali Dodd says she received a phone call no mother should ever have to take, telling her that her son had passed away.

What happened to the Dodd family could happen to anyone. Their terrible loss brings to light how unsafe this is for our little ones and highlights how important it is for more education to be provided to parents and caregivers about the dangers involved.

“Unfortunately, that’s the good that’s going to come out of my son’s death, is sitting in carrying devices are not safe for sleep,” mum Ali Dodd said.

“We want to stress that our mission is not to put any more fear in parents about how to keep their children safe.

“Our mission is simply to educate them and make people aware of dangers that many of us really didn’t know about before.

“When a car seat is properly used, as it is intended to be used, which is for travel purposes only, and if a baby is frequently and properly supervised while in them, then a car seat isn’t a dangerous thing to use.

“Same goes for rockers, swings, slings, or any other rocking, travelling or sitting device.”

Ali also has a five year old son Presley, said: “Despite how many deaths are caused by unsafe sleep practices and how many new studies and factual information published about the dangers of using car seats and sitting devices for sleeping, we are still seeing a shocking number of folks out there saying how many doctors and paediatricians still actually encourage new parents to put their baby in car seats to sleep if they have acid reflux or other similar problems.

“They are misleading and putting lives in danger every time they promote unsafe sleep practices.

“The public has to be aware of these dangers and be proactive about avoiding them.

“The risk is just not worth it, and sometimes you just have to play it safe even if it’s inconvenient.

“Our children’s lives are so much more important than convenience.

“Why wouldn’t parents want to take every single precaution they possibly could to keep their babies safe?

“Not to mention, parents also should feel confident that the child care providers that we trust to care for our babies are also doing everything they should be doing to keep them safe.”

Image via Facebook – Shepard’s Watch

How to Sleep your Baby Safely: via Sids and Kids

1. Sleep baby on the back from birth, not on the tummy or side

2. Sleep baby with head and face uncovered

3. Keep baby smoke free before birth and after

4. Provide a safe sleeping environment night and day

5. Sleep baby in their own safe sleeping place in the same room as an adult caregiver for the first six to twelve months

•When using a car seat or carrier, babies must always be supervised or else they can change positions and block their tiny airways. A good rule of thumb for parents to follow is to never, under any circumstances, use a car seat for anything other than its intended purpose, which is to keep baby safe in the car.

Our hearts ache for this family. I hope something good can come of their story and some strict guidelines be put in place across the nation.

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