MCHD observing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month 10.01.25

October 1, 2025

MCHD observing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month

MOBILE, Ala. — Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month is observed annually in October. This week aims to raise awareness about the unexpected death of a child under 1 year old, without an obvious cause of death before investigation.

The Mobile County Health Department’s Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Program was established to identify critical community strengths and weaknesses, as well as unique health and social issues, associated with poor outcomes of pregnancy. The program is a community-based statewide initiative designed to enhance the health and well-being of women, infants, and families through the review of deidentified cases of fetal (stillbirth) and infant deaths, and voluntary maternal interviews. The Mobile County FIMR Program, the Alabama Baby Coalition, began in 1998 and continues to be active in improving pregnancy outcomes.

“FIMR reviews cases to ensure newborn screening was conducted and timely follow-up care was completed,” said Yvonne Baynard, who oversees the Alabama Baby Coalition. “The review process can identify failures in screening processes or communication.”

As of this year, Mobile County has received a total of 30 fetal and infant death records. Among these, seven cases have been identified as SIDS/SUIDI (Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Investigation) and are scheduled for review by the FIMR teams.

The FIMR teams remain committed to reducing infant mortality through thorough case reviews and active participation in safe sleep awareness campaigns. In support of this effort, families are encouraged to create safe sleep environments for infants. To assist with this, free Pack ‘n’ Plays are available for qualifying families with babies aged 0–6 months. For more information about this program, please call 251-694-5007.

The Alabama Baby Coalition is also sponsoring the second annual Perinatal Conference along with Region IV Hospitals. This will be Nov. 7 at the USA Health Providence’s DePaul Center. This will offer 6 hours of continuing education credits for nurses and social workers. The cost is $25 by Oct. 15, and $35 after then. For more information, call Csierra Payne at 334-832-0292.

FIMR often partners with MCHD’s Maternal & Child Health programs and community organizations to ensure improvements in newborn screening outcomes.