LEONARDTOWN, MD (October 3, 2014) – The St. Mary’s County Health Department was awarded grant funds from the March of Dimes Maryland National Capital Area Chapter to support the ABCs of Safe Sleep for infants (Alone, on their Back, in a Crib). This grant is one of many that the March of Dimes provides in pursuit of its mission to prevent birth defects and infant mortality. With the awarded funding, the health department is providing Safe Sleep materials and education through individual and group trainings in the community. This strategy is known to increase use of safe sleep practices and reduce the risk of death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
“We will use the March of Dimes grant to purchase safe sleep sacks for the infants of mothers or care givers who complete the ABCs of Safe Sleep training,” said Michele Burnette, RN, Access to Care Director for the Health Department. “We are grateful to those volunteers who support the March of Dimes by participation in events like March for Babies and who donate in other ways. That participation and those donations make this grant possible,” she added.
The funded project expands upon the health department’s other efforts to promote maternal and child health. To learn about the maternal child health services provided by the St. Mary’s County Health Department, visit the agency’s website at www.smchd.org
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary heath agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by prevention of birth defects, premature births and infant mortality. For more information about March of Dimes and its awarded grants, visit the March of Dimes website at www.marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language website at www.nacersano.marchofdimes.com.