A new bill passed will help reduce the number of infant deaths in Ohio.
The bill pushes for providing more timely data on the state's performance with infant mortality and studying what contributes to Ohio's racial infant death disparity. Â The bill also reflects the recommendations in the Ohio Commission on Infant Mortality, which focuses on the best practices to keep babies safe. Â These include practices around safe sleep, smoking, and birth spacing.
In Allen County, these practices have been encouraged for parents with new babies.
"We talk about with families is the ABC's of safe sleep, very simple: they need to be Alone, on their Back, and the C is for crib," said Barb Deepe, director of Allen County WIC. "Alone on their back in a crib is one of the safest ways to have your children sleep when they're at home."
Ohio has one the worst infant mortality rates in the nation -Â 21 percent over the national average.
