SAN ANTONIO — A baby has died after rolling over on the stomach and suffocating at a northeast side home Sunday evening, according to San Antonio Police.
The incident took place at the 4000 block of Mystic Sunrise Drive around 6 p.m. Sunday. The medical examiner has identified the baby as Laylani Florentina Gibbons-Loredo, however the cause and manner of death are still pending.
Officials say the six-month-old baby was found unresponsive in the living room of the house. Investigators believe the mother fell asleep with the baby in their bed.
While the mother and child were sleeping the baby rolled onto her stomach causing her face to be pushed into the bed/pillow. Since the baby never rolled back onto her back she suffocated, according to police.
Officials say there was no sign of foul play and the investigation is ongoing.
According to the National Institutes of Health, babies should never sleep on an adult bed with others or pets. Soft surfaces like couches or pillow-top adult mattresses are not safe for babies to sleep on.
The safest place for a baby to sleep in is a crib with nothing but a fitted sheet covering the mattress, which should be a firm surface, according to experts.
North Central Baptist Nurse, Ashland Rivera, said it doesn't take long for an accident to happen.
"It is never recommended to co-sleep or to share the same bed with your baby," she said. "Especially if you roll over, you are hard asleep, you are tired, you are a new mama. It can happen so very quickly in just a matter of seconds or minutes."
Rivera had a reminder that's easy to remember.
"A safe sleeping environment that is very easy to remember is ABC's," she said. "A is alone. B is on the back. C is in a crib. It is recommended that you room share and not bed share."
She said what is acceptable is for a baby to be swaddled or a in a wearable blanket. She also said there shouldn't be anything in the crib, like stuffed animals or loose blankets.
You can find more information on sleep safety here.
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