With the number of cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome increasing in Bexar County, local first responders are getting special training on how to recognize the key signs that SIDS is a possibility, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Dr. William McClain with the Bexar County Medical Examiner's office told EMS paramedics, firefighters, and other first responders at the South Texas Regional Advisory Council that some of the signs are easy, the others harder. One of the easy ones is to stop what is called 'co-sleeping.'
"We try to curb that trend of our parents and grandparents, who say 'you can put the baby in bed with you, no problem'," he said.
Dr. McClain says if you get to a family early and explain practices in swaddling, putting the baby into a crib, or holding or feeding the baby, that can save the baby's life.
"The first responders are the ones who are administering that aid," he said. "This is the perfect vehicle to administer that access in the home."