Less than a week after declaring a public emergency over infant mortality rates, the Mississippi State Department of Health has launched a new guide aimed at helping grandparents play a pivotal role in the well-being of young ones.
The agency debuted its “Protect & Prepare: A Grandparent’s Guide” campaign on Monday. The platform serves to offer grandparents tips and advice on practices to ensure infants are put in the best position to be healthy throughout their upbringing.
“While it’s true that grandparents often know best and play an integral role in passing down child-rearing wisdom to their own children, some of the guidelines for keeping infants safe and healthy have changed since they raised their own children, especially when it comes to preventable diseases and sleep positions,” a statement from MSDH reads.
The first piece of advice offered by the agency is for grandparents to get vaccinated against whooping cough, flu, and COVID-19 to protect babies who are too young to be vaccinated. This is to ensure that grandparents don’t unknowingly pass an illness on to the most vulnerable members of society. Though most adults received vaccinations against pertussis in childhood, immunity wanes over time, the department asserts.
“Even healthy adults can unknowingly spread dangerous respiratory infections like pertussis and RSV to infants, who are more susceptible to health complications, including death,” the MSDH statement further reads.
The second major recommendation is to make sure infants are sleeping properly. MSDH officials urge parents, grandparents, and guardians alike to put babies to sleep alone, on their backs, and in a crib without pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals present.
“Though putting infants to sleep on their stomachs was once a common practice, we now know it increases the likelihood of sleep-related death,” the MSDH statement continues. “In Mississippi, sleep-related deaths are the third-leading cause of infant death, and about 1 in 5 sleep-related deaths occur while an infant is being cared for by someone other than a parent.”
Data from 2024 shows the state’s infant mortality rate has increased to 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. In Mississippi, 3,257 babies have died before the age of one since 2014, with the leading causes being congenital malformations, preterm birth, low birth weight, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The national average is 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The best gift you can give your grandchild isn’t a toy; it’s getting vaccinated to prevent potentially deadly diseases and practicing safe sleeping practices, every time. Their safety starts with you,” MSDH officials wrote.
