Essex County: Belleville baby among 3 infants dead in 40 hours

Following three baby deaths in Essex County within a 40-hour time, authorities are advising parents to take precautions to protect their children.

The deaths, announced last week, happened in Belleville, East Orange and Newark, according to Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino.

Parents should avoid sleeping in a bed with young children and make sure they have cribs or bassinets, Laurino said.

Citing the American Academy of Pediatrics, authorities said, parents should take the following steps.

• Make sure the baby is sleeping on his or her back and is sleeping alone.
• Keep blankets, stuffed animals and other items away from the sleeping area.
• Bring the baby into your bedroom, but not into your bed.

While Laurino called the three baby deaths “very troubling,” he said, they do not appear to be suspicious.

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One was reported in Belleville on Sept. 26, the other in East Orange on Sept. 23, and the other in Newark, also on Sept. 23, Laurino said in the release.

Authorities said the 26-day-old Belleville baby died from a “medical incident.”

In the East Orange incident, the parents told police the baby was in bed with them and when they awoke, the infant was unresponsive and later pronounced dead, authorities said.

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In the Newark incident, the baby was on a futon with her 2-year-old sibling, according to the release.

The risk of Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sudden unexpected death syndrome (SUDS) increases when babies sleep in beds with their parents because parents may accidentally roll over on the baby, Laurino said.

“While the investigations in all three cases remain open, we felt it was important to remind parents of the dangers of sleeping with infants or keeping infants on sofas surfaces,” he said.

Email: kadosh@northjersey.com