West Cook News

Cook County officials have released a five-year report that highlights the ongoing threat of sleep-related infant deaths in the region. The announcement coincides with the start of SIDS Awareness Month and is part of an effort to educate families about safe sleep practices.

The Cook County Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Case Registry, a partnership between the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office and Rush University System for Health, recorded 208 infant deaths related to unsafe sleeping environments from 2019 to 2023. During a recent event, 208 onesies were displayed in honor of each child lost.

“On average, one infant in Cook County dies each week due to sudden unexpected infant death,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. "We want the information in this report to arm parents and caregivers with knowledge about the dangers that can take the life of newborns and infants.”

Chief Medical Examiner Ponni Arunkumar noted the impact of environmental factors on these deaths. “We see that small changes in an infant’s environment can mean the difference between life and death,” Dr. Arunkumar said. “Our hope is that by shining a spotlight on these deaths, we can prevent them.”

Analysis from the registry found that nearly all incidents—99%—occurred while infants were sleeping in unsafe conditions such as sharing beds with adults or being surrounded by soft items like blankets or pillows.

Kyran Quinlan, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics at Rush who established the registry, stated: “Each one of these deaths is painful, a devastating loss to their loved ones. Sleep-related deaths are by far the biggest threat to a baby once home from the hospital.”

Gina Lowell, MD, MPH, associate professor at Rush and principal investigator for the registry, explained some patterns identified in their research. Two-thirds of cases involved bed-sharing with another person; nine out of ten had soft bedding present; most babies were younger than six months; and more than a quarter were premature.

The data also revealed disparities among racial groups: Black infants died at rates 14 times higher than white infants, while Hispanic infants died at rates 2.3 times higher than white infants during this period. Although there was a modest decline in sleep-related infant deaths in Cook County over 2022 and 2023, Lowell emphasized continued efforts are needed: “Much work remains to raise awareness of these tragedies and effectively promote safe infant sleep practices to prevent them.”

Lowell added: “The key to understanding safe sleep practices is to remember that preventing suffocation prevents these deaths. That means having nothing that could block the airway or compress the neck or chest when they are sleeping.”

Felicia Tillis-Clark leads Community Partnership Approaches for Safe Sleep (CPASS Chicago), which connects with local families through events and open discussions about barriers to safe sleep. Reflecting on her previous role as an investigator for infant death scenes at the Medical Examiner’s Office, she shared: “I saw the pain families endure when an infant dies. Talking about sleep-related infant deaths is hard, but if we can discuss it with compassion and without judgment, we can better understand what babies and families need.”

Destiny Tyler spoke publicly about losing her six-month-old son Kaiden while he slept: “You never think it will happen to you until it does, and if sharing my experience can prevent even one family from going through this heartbreak, then it’s worth every conversation,” she said. “My goal is not to scare anyone, but to inform and educate, because so many people simply don’t know, and knowledge really can make a difference.”

For more details or access to the full report on sleep-related infant death in Cook County over five years, visit rush.edu/suid.