Child deaths in the county are on the rise, according to a recent report issued by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
In the report, which was published on Dec. 23, data analyzed by the Santa Barbara County Child Death Review Team (CDRT) shows that child deaths increased at a steady rate in the last three years.
The number of children who died in 2012 was 24, but that number increased to 25 in 2013, and spiked to 32 deaths in 2014.
More often than not, a medical condition was responsible for most of the deaths, accounting for 62 of the 81 deaths in the last two years. Of those children who died, more than half were younger than 1 year old, the report said.
Accidents were the next factor, accounting for 12 deaths. Causes ranged from motor vehicle accidents, drowning, and asphyxiation.
It’s probably not on the forefront of most parents’ minds, but sleeping with their children or using the wrong type of blanket could actually be dangerous to them, according to the report.
The report cites “maternal overlying,” or when parents sleep with their young child in the same bed, as one contributing factor in child deaths. This can be dangerous because a parent can roll on top of their child and inadvertently asphyxiate them.
“It is a concern, that’s why there is a lot of education among parents about sleeping with their children,” said Susan Klein-Rothschild, public information officer for the Public Health Department. “It’s something a lot of people don’t know.
“We recommend that parents not sleep in the same bed with the child,” Klein-Rothschild said.
She also recommended that parents not use heavily quilted blankets for their children as it may make it harder for them to move around and breathe. They’re small but very important details, Klein-Rothschild said.
Suicide and homicide accounted for two deaths each. Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, accounted for at least one death.
Comprised of sheriff’s coroners, epidemiologists, a district attorney, and numerous public health officials, the CDRT was tasked to find and prevent child abuse in the county.
A copy of the report can be found on the county Public Health Department website.
This article appears in Dec 31, 2015 – Jan 7, 2016.