Cook County officials cite 14-fold gap in infant sleep deaths

Parents in Cook County are facing a stark statistic regarding infant safety. From 2020 through 2024, Black babies in the county died from sleep-related causes at a rate 14 times higher than that of white babies. Health officials presented these figures from the county’s Sudden Unexpected Infant Death case registry during a press event held on October 27.

The disparity is not limited to race. The same data shows that Hispanic infants died from these causes at a rate 2.3 times higher than white infants. Mayor Brandon Johnson stated that 128 infants in Chicago died from causes related to sleep conditions during the four-year period. He urged the public to keep those families in their hearts during the current month.

At the October 27 news conference in Daley Plaza, 52 empty cribs were set up to represent the estimated average of one infant death each week in Cook County. SUID, or Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, covers the sudden and unexpected death of a baby under one year old. This category includes accidental suffocation, sudden infant death syndrome, and unexplained causes.

Dr. Gina Lowell, a pediatrician at Rush University Medical Center, provided context on the scale of the issue. She noted that in 2024, 3,400 babies in the United States died from SUID. In the same year, only 77 babies died in car crashes. Lowell said she used this comparison to show that sleep environments are the leading cause of death for infants after they leave the hospital.

Specific data from the Chicago Department of Public Health reveals where these deaths occur. Ninety-three percent of the infants who died were found with soft bedding. Eighty-four percent were sleeping in locations not approved for infant sleep, such as adult beds or couches. Sixty percent shared a sleep surface with another person, and 42 percent were found on their stomachs or sides.

Dr. Garth Walker, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, acknowledged that while progress has been made over the last decade, the gaps between different groups remain. Dr. Lauren Smith, chief medical officer for Cook County Health, recalled pronouncing the death of an infant as an emergency physician. She described the experience as a day she will never forget.

Officials urged families to place babies on their backs on a firm, flat surface without loose bedding. The data indicates these deaths were more common on the South and West Sides of Chicago. Lowell said 94 babies in Chicago died from suffocation, though she did not specify the time frame for that number.