DFPS provides patient education materials promoting infant and toddler safety

posted 05.24.10

TAFP has partnered with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to promote two new child safety campaigns led by DFPS: Room to Breathe and Don’t Be in the Dark About Child Care. The agency is reaching out to family physicians in practice because of their role as primary physicians for Texas families who advocate for the health and welfare of their patients.

The Room to Breathe campaign aims to prevent sudden unexplained infant deaths by urging parents to always put their babies to sleep –alone, on their backs, and without pillows, blankets, or anything that could interfere with their breathing. DFPS is currently running radio and TV ads across the state and publicizing this message on YouTube and Facebook. You can see the ads and messages at www.babyroomtobreathe.org.

The Don’t Be in the Dark about Child Care campaign educates parents about the importance of choosing state-licensed child care and getting more involved in their child’s day care. Fifty-eight children died in illegal day care from 2004-2008. DFPS will also use social media and run TV and radio ads for this campaign beginning in July. See more at www.DontBeInTheDark.org.

TAFP invites you to participate by discussing safe sleep with the parents of infants in your practice and sending them home with a brochure or tip sheet. Materials are available at no cost to physicians, and providing the parents of preschool children with day care information is a great way to improve the health and safety of younger patients.

If you are willing to distribute this information, fill out this five-question online survey to indicate which materials you want, whether you prefer them in English or Spanish, and the address where you’d like the materials mailed. Take the survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/NCP7WQC.

DFPS will send you printed materials as soon as possible and for as long as the supply lasts. Until then, you can also print Room to Breathe brochures directly from www.BabyRoomToBreathe.org. Soon additional materials for both campaigns will be available online for printing.