Family Voices — Derrick’s Story
Two-month-old Derrick suffocated after he was laid to sleep on an adult bed with soft bedding.
Submitted by his mother, Alexandria.
Derrick was born on November 2, 2020. He was a healthy and happy baby boy. As a sleep deprived mom, I made a decision that it would be best to lean on my village for help because I felt as if I were a risk to my own son. I dropped Derrick off at a trusted family member’s house with everything he needed, including his safe sleep spot. On the morning of January 1, 2021, I received a call that Derrick was found unresponsive. I was shocked, speechless, and in denial. I was asking so many questions looking for answers to connect the dots to what happened to my son.
Shortly thereafter, I was informed that Derrick was laid to sleep by a minor who was unaware of safe sleep practices. She laid him to sleep on an adult bed with his head on a pillow. He rolled off the pillow and landed face down on the mattress. He suffocated to death on either the loose sheet or the mattress itself. Both of them are risk factors that can be prevented by following the ABCs of safe sleep. I believe that the minor was doing what she thought was best because she gets comfortable in bed with loose bedding, and safe infant sleep is the opposite of those instincts.
What’s Happened Since Derrick’s Death?
Since his death, Derrick’s mom has spread awareness of safe infant sleep. She is the founder of Derrick Stone Safe Sleep and their mission is to decrease infant mortality by providing awareness, education, and resources.
Infant safe sleep is not intuitive. The AAP has updated their safe sleep recommendations with practices that everyone should follow to prevent infant sleep-related death. Parents and caregivers should follow the ABCs of safe sleep: Infants should be placed Alone, on their Backs, in their own sleep environment in a Crib, play yard, or bassinet that meets the CPSC’s safety standards. The sleep space should not have anything in it, including pillows, comforters, mattress toppers, non-fitted sheets, blankets, toys, or bumper pads. Use KID’s Safe Sleep Checklist to check your baby’s sleep environment wherever they sleep.
How You Can Take Action
To take action and help prevent further incidents, injuries, and deaths,
there are a number of things you can do:
- Follow the ABCs of safe sleep at every sleep time: 1) Baby is Alone and has their own separate sleep space. 2) Baby is placed to sleep on their Back, and 3) baby sleeps in a Crib, play yard or bassinet that meets the federal safety standard.
- Remove other products such as crib bumper pads, pillows, positioners, extra padding, blankets, stuffed animals, or toys from the sleep environment.
- Share KID’s safe sleep PSA.
- Report any incidents to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov.
Check out our action steps for all children’s products here.
More Information on Cribs
Although mandatory standards exist for cribs, only recently has an effort been made to strengthen those standards and require testing and verification of new cribs. Because of these standards, all cribs must include proper assembly instructions and diagrams as well as cautionary and warning labels as required by federal law.
More information on Safe Sleep
A safe sleep environment is the one place parents and caregivers can place an infant and know they will be safe, even as the parent sleeps or attends to other things. Infants sleep safest following the ABC’s of safe sleep—Alone, on their Back and in a Crib, bassinet or play yard that meets federal standards and hasn’t been recalled. AAP also recommends babies sleep on a flat surface and unrestrained. Nothing should be in the crib except a firm mattress with a tight-fitting sheet.
View our safe sleep video to learn more about how to keep your baby safe while sleeping.