TDH Receives 86,000 Safe Sleep Books for Tennessee Parents
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, will join other state and local officials on Friday, January 10, at Bicentennial Mall State Park in Nashville to launch the next phase of the statewide initiative to reduce sleep-related deaths among infants. TDH is partnering with the Charlie’s Kids Foundation and Tennessee hospitals to provide teaching materials to help new parents and hospital staff members learn the “ABCs of safe sleep.”
TDH will provide hospitals that join the project with copies of the Sleep Baby Safe and Snug board book for each baby born in their facility in 2014. The books will arrive in the Charlie’s Kids delivery truck at Bicentennial Mall for distribution to partner hospitals. Speakers at the launch event will include Sam Hanke, MD, co-founder and president of the Charlie’s Kids Foundation board of directors, who established the organization after losing his first child to sudden infant death syndrome.
TDH launched a statewide campaign in June 2012 to increase awareness of safe sleep practices for babies in order to reduce infant mortality in Tennessee.
Who: John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, Tennessee Health Commissione
Michael Warren, MD, MPH, Family Health & Wellness Director, TDH
Sam Hanke, MD, Charlie’s Kids Foundation President
Craig Becker, Tennessee Hospital Association CEO
Anna Morad, MD, American Academy of Pediatrics, Tennessee Chapter
What: Safe Sleep education and book project launch
When: Friday, January 10, 10:30 a.m.
Where: Bicentennial Mall State Park*
600 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243
*Event will take place near large state map located on James Robertson Parkway by the railroad trestle.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Shelley Walker, 615.253.5184 or Shelley.Walker@tn.gov or Bill Christian, 614.741.2308 or Bill.Christian@tn.gov