JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A new report from the Missouri Department of Social Services reveals sleep-related deaths remain the leading cause of deaths for Missouri infants and the leading cause of child maltreatment-related deaths.
Members of the Child Fatality Review Panel Subcommittee on Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities examined and analyzed the deaths of 56 children in 2014 that county panels had determined were due to child abuse or neglect. Of those deaths, 24, or 44 percent, were attributed to an unsafe sleep environment.
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Department officials say they are currently reviewing recommendations for addressing unsafe sleep deaths and pursuing actions to enhance the safety of Missouri children.
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