According to the Kent County Health Department, between 2016 and 2024, 41% of sleep-related infant deaths occurred among Black infants, compared to 32% among White infants.
“That’s a disproportionate number of people when we look at the percentage of people who identify with different racial and ethnic groups in our county.”
That’s Kent County Health Department’s Medical Director Dr. Kristin Oldenburg. She says these differences are not just the result of individual choices, but longstanding inequities can influence what options are available.
“Can be influenced by a lot of factors, like housing conditions, access to safe sleep equipment, economic barriers. There are a lot of people in our community that experience barriers that make it hard to provide that safe sleeping space for their baby.”
Dr. Oldenberg says evidence-based practices like placing babies on their backs using firm, flat sleep surfaces, and keeping the sleep area free of loose items, can significantly reduce the risk of death.
“The health department has Pack ‘n Plays and infant sleep sets that are available to Kent County residents who are pregnant or have an infant under one.”
More resources can be found online at KentCountyMI.gov/SafeSleep or by calling the health department.
