Published: August 29, 2008 02:55 pm         

Group working to prevent child fatalities

More than 40 children died in Johnson County in the last two years, and half of those were preventable, according to the Johnson County Child Fatality Review Team report released Thursday.

“The challenge for the team is to review deaths and decide whether they were preventable or not,” said Tammy King, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center. The center is the team’s host agency.

The team began forming in January, when Micah Eimberbrink, community health specialist with the Texas Department of State Health Services, contacted King about creating a team.

The team meets as necessary to review children’s deaths.

“When we’re talking children we don’t mean just infants,” said Bill Moore, Johnson County attorney. “We’re trying to educate people on preventing childhood deaths no matter the age.”

The team found that the most common causes of death for children in the county were co-sleeping, or someone sleeping with an infant, and vehicle collisions.

“The current awareness issue this team has taken on is safe sleeping situations,” King said.

The team has been contacting places such as doctor’s offices to ask about displaying educational information for mothers about SIDS and safe sleep environments, which DSHS provided.

They have also given Huguley Memorial Medial Center, Harris Methodist Walls Regional Hospital and pregnancy centers sleepwear that have “This side up (in my crib)” printed on the front to give new mothers to promote placing infants on their backs to sleep. Funds provided 2,000 “onesies,” or one-piece sleepwear, 500 in Spanish.

Cleburne Chamber of Commerce President Cathy Marchel is the team’s presiding officer. She said the state has provided many tools for educating the community.

Missy Nelson, executive director of CASA of Johnson County has agreed to be the co-host agency for the team.

“One little piece at a time adds up to a big change in someone’s life,” said Jerry Webber, Johnson County court-at-law judge. “Working together we can make a big impact on the community.”

For information on Child Fatality Review Teams, visit www.dshs.state.tx.us/mch/

Child_Fatality_Review.shtm.

     

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