So sad...

[Sunchimes]

I started a micro-preemie last fall (5 mo/2 no adjusted). She had so many feeding issues and reflux that the doctors said to keep her at a 30° angle for an hour after eating. He said her papasan swing or car seat was best. Because of what I've learned here, I argued but gave in because she was on a heart/lung monitor. I still didn't use her carseat though.

Then, they took her off the monitor. By then I had confirmed that putting her in a bed was guaranteed to bring up everything in her tummy. So, I hovered and kept my eyes glued to the rise and fall of her chest.. Luckily, I only keep 3 kids and she never slept over 20 minutes. It was a long few months.

Now at 11 months, I have a pillow under her mattress for a slight incline, and her reflux is better controlled so she sleeps in her crib most of the time. The exception is when she falls asleep in her swing while she is being pumped. When that happens, I go back to hovering.

[laundrymom]

I started a micro-preemie last fall (5 mo/2 no adjusted). She had so many feeding issues and reflux that the doctors said to keep her at a 30° angle for an hour after eating. He said her papasan swing or car seat was best. Because of what I've learned here, I argued but gave in because she was on a heart/lung monitor. I still didn't use her carseat though.

Then, they took her off the monitor. By then I had confirmed that putting her in a bed was guaranteed to bring up everything in her tummy. So, I hovered and kept my eyes glued to the rise and fall of her chest.. Luckily, I only keep 3 kids and she never slept over 20 minutes. It was a long few months.

Now at 11 months, I have a pillow under her mattress for a slight incline, and her reflux is better controlled so she sleeps in her crib most of the time. The exception is when she falls asleep in her swing while she is being pumped. When that happens, I go back to hovering.

Bless you. What a stress load.

[melilley]

WOW! How awful!!! I am so sad for the parents of that beautiful baby.

I agree laundrymom- the education is there now. There aren't excuses.

And in MI, they just sent out information a few months ago about taking a refresher course for free for infant safe sleep. No way this woman didn't know not to put that child in the seat to sleep.

[melilley]

No, the link to the licensing investigation was in the news story last night, they got it through FOIA-but they removed it. It's no longer available to the public I guess because the case is still pending? I wasn't sure if it would be legal for me to put that up here since they took it back down. I downloaded it) I forgot what info was in which-suffice it to say her story is full of bs.
I also stalked her daycare facebook page before someone took that down. She "looked" like she did things right-had a curriculum, Zoo-phonics, cute dc room...but when I read her posts I couldn't believe people kept their kids there! Most of them were to the tune of "Kids were terrible again today. Early lunch and nap. Only those who are good during nap get the special snack." Many, many of these type of posts complaining about the kids' behavior.

They also said that she used the upstairs for sleeping and the they couldn't even open doors to the rooms upstairs because of how cluttered it was. It said the provider said she was embarrassed by the condition of the upstairs portion of her home.

It also said that the provider placed him in his car seat and covered it 10 minutes before the dad got there and put him in the preschool room. Why would you cover it 10 minutes before dad came? I really really hope that she didn't place him in there already knowing that he died, but the timeline says that he passed away hours before that. Sad.

[crazydaycarelady]

I agree laundrymom- the education is there now. There aren't excuses

I don't think it is. One of my dcmoms has a 10-day old baby with a horrible cough. The DOCTOR told her to have the baby sleep in her car seat!! And dcm was doing it (she is a nurse!)

I told her what I know about it and she is not doing it any longer but it just goes to show how uninformed people are.

Also there is NO WAY on Gawds green earth she held the babies while they slept. I watch my nephew and would love to cuddle him while he sleeps but I know I can't sit for that log of a period without getting up to check on others or whatever.

[Unregistered]

I started a micro-preemie last fall (5 mo/2 no adjusted). She had so many feeding issues and reflux that the doctors said to keep her at a 30° angle for an hour after eating. He said her papasan swing or car seat was best. Because of what I've learned here, I argued but gave in because she was on a heart/lung monitor. I still didn't use her carseat though.

Then, they took her off the monitor. By then I had confirmed that putting her in a bed was guaranteed to bring up everything in her tummy. So, I hovered and kept my eyes glued to the rise and fall of her chest.. Luckily, I only keep 3 kids and she never slept over 20 minutes. It was a long few months.

Now at 11 months, I have a pillow under her mattress for a slight incline, and her reflux is better controlled so she sleeps in her crib most of the time. The exception is when she falls asleep in her swing while she is being pumped. When that happens, I go back to hovering.

Not sure that our license would allow any of that, even with a doctor okay. There is no allowance for sleeping anywhere besides a crib, and it can have no devices or modifications. I think that baby would end up in nanny care, or parental care.

[Sunchimes]

I am legally unlicensed, so it worked out for us. I was so uncomfortable with it, but it seems like the worst is over now. She still has reflux, but it is better controlled. We still don't do tummy time for an hour after she is fed.

[permanentvacation]

How do you cover the child's car seat and 'not check on the baby' at the same time?

I couldn't get the video to play, but I read the news post. It said that after the child fell asleep in the car seat, at some point, she covered the car seat (I think they mean zipped up the car seat covering) but she didn't check on the child at that time. You are right there working with the child in the car seat, you CAN'T NOT check on the child.

I never put the child in the car seat to get them ready for pick up even when they are wide awake. I make my parents put the babies in the car seats so they are the ones responsible for making sure the baby is in it correctly. If anything happens to the baby in the car because they weren't in the car seat correctly, it's on the parents, not me. Maybe I should actually state that in my contract... that I require the parents to put the babies in their car seats. That way, it's a written policy and if something happens because the baby isn't in the car seat correctly, I would have as much proof as possible that I didn't put the baby in the car seat.

This actually makes me a bit nervous now. I haven't watched a little tiny baby for a while, I try to stick with ages 1-5. But I agreed to have an interview with a baby who will be 9 months old when they start. After reading about this, it brings up my worries about SIDS.

I don't put my babies or children in another room. Every one is in the living room at all times. Unless someone has to use the bathroom. So I always have my eyes on them and of course I check my infants constantly. But I am still concerned about SIDS.

[momofsix]

How do you cover the child's car seat and 'not check on the baby' at the same time?

I couldn't get the video to play, but I read the news post. It said that after the child fell asleep in the car seat, at some point, she covered the car seat (I think they mean zipped up the car seat covering) but she didn't check on the child at that time. You are right there working with the child in the car seat, you CAN'T NOT check on the child.


Exactly. I believe they said the cover was the type that went over the handle of the carseat-more like a blanket type than the zip up type. I have to believe she know he had already died. Nothing else makes sense.
In one of the article's comments there are quite a few dc providers that say the fact that the baby was in his carseat and covered is not odd and is common practice. Is it? I've never done that in all my years. It's the parents responsibility to buckle up their child-I would never take that liability if the child didn't get buckled in right or if something happened on the way home and there was any doubts about how he was placed in the seat.

[Crystal]

How do you cover the child's car seat and 'not check on the baby' at the same time?

I couldn't get the video to play, but I read the news post. It said that after the child fell asleep in the car seat, at some point, she covered the car seat (I think they mean zipped up the car seat covering) but she didn't check on the child at that time. You are right there working with the child in the car seat, you CAN'T NOT check on the child.


Exactly. I believe they said the cover was the type that went over the handle of the carseat-more like a blanket type than the zip up type. I have to believe she know he had already died. Nothing else makes sense.
In one of the article's comments there are quite a few dc providers that say the fact that the baby was in his carseat and covered is not odd and is common practice. Is it? I've never done that in all my years. It's the parents responsibility to buckle up their child-I would never take that liability if the child didn't get buckled in right or if something happened on the way home and there was any doubts about how he was placed in the seat.

I cannot imagine putting a baby in a car seat and covering it up with anything! NEVER have done it. This story is eerily similar to one here in Sacramento a couple of years ago, the provider KNEW the child had died while in his car seat, upstairs, propped with a bottle. She found him dead, moved him to a play pen, laying him on his side, patted his bottom and WALKED AWAY! When the father arrived to pick him up, a couple of hours later, the provider came running downstairs yelling that the child was non-responsive and to call 9-1-1. She lied about the entire incident, even having her 15 year old daughter lie to investigators, made several phone calls after finding the baby dead. Her "punishment" for all of this was losing her license. The jury found her not guilty of any criminal charges :confused:

I don't understand how these things can happen. It is my FIRM belief that EVERY provider should be required to take safe sleeping practices classes PRIOR to being able to care for infants.

My heart goes out to the families in these cases. lovethis

[racemom]

I try to never buckle kids in car seats either. The only time I have done it was grandpa picked up in an emergency situation and had no idea how to do it. I do not want the responsibility of someone not being buckled correctly. And there is absolutely no reason for a child, awake or sleeping to be in a car seat until parent is there to pick up! This story doesn't sit right with me. He may have innocently passed away, but I feel like the provider was at least, trying to hide it. Terrible tragedy for all involved. I cannot imagine how it would feel to have a baby die while in my care, and I pray I never know.