Keeping Babies Safe has acquired cribs for 80 families in the Newark area, paid for by a $51,000 donation from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.
NEWARK -- There are countless cutting-edge ways the Children's Hospital of New Jersey uses to keep babies alive and healthy. But top hospital officials, community and elected leaders gathered Thursday to stress the importance of one very low-tech and under-appreciated piece of equipment.
The crib.
Simply outfitted with a firm and thin mattress, a crib is an indispensable item parents can't do without, but they sometimes do because they can't afford it, said Joyce Davis of Warren, the founder of Keeping Babies Safe, a nonprofit that has helped change product safety laws and acquired more than 8,000 cribs for low-income families across the country.
Keeping Babies Safe has acquired cribs for 80 families in the Newark area, paid for by a $51,000 donation from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey. The hospital will work with community organizations to identify the parents in need.
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Using blankets and plush mattresses in a crib or putting a baby in a regular bed with parents or siblings increases the likelihood an infant will suffocate to death, said Joshua Rosenblatt, chairman of the Pediatric Department at the Children's Hospital and vice president of Newark Beth Israel.
"We offer our families .. the most technologically advanced procedures and diagnostics in the country," Roseblatt said. "All the technology in the world won't help a baby if they are not sleeping safely. They are at risk for death."
Three-quarters of infant deaths from 2004 to 2012 occurred as a result of a bed-sharing situation, according to a 2014 study published in the journal Pediatrics in 2014.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a 2014 report that nursery products either caused or played a role in the death of 104 babies and toddler dying a year. Forty percent of those deaths involved unsafe mattresses and cribs or their misuse.
In 2000, Davis' four-month-old son, Garret, suffocated to death when she used a supplemental mattress in his portable crib.
"Through this new and exciting partnership with Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, we are given a tremendous opportunity. We now have a direct conduit that can identify the neediest families and provide them with a safe crib," Davis said.
"We believe this program will make our work more effective, more meaningful and assure young families that their babies are sleeping safely and soundly," Davis said.
The organizations that will identify the families are BabyLand Family Services, Newark Community Health Centers, Newark Emergency Services for Families, the Weequahic Family Success Center, Mount Sinai Baptist Church, New Psalmist Worship Center, Masjid Ash Shifaa United Muslim Inc., and Saint John the Baptist Church.
"With the help of community partners, this program will better ensure the safety and well being of babies in our area," Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), whose office is also involved with the project. "There is nothing more important to parents than keeping their children safe."
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly states the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey was affiliated with Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.