Infant dies at Celilo Village

“It appears unnecessary bedding in Kamiakin’s sleep environment, including a nursing pillow, likely contributed to his death,” the press release stated.

A family member had called about 9 a.m. that morning to report the infant was not breathing. The family began to transport the baby to the hospital but was told to wait at the freeway interchange by Celilo for the ambulance, which was enroute.

A 911 dispatcher instructed a family member on infant CPR. An OSP trooper headed for the Sherman County Courthouse happened upon the family at the Celilo interchange and took over CPR efforts.

Within a couple minutes, Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue arrived on scene, relieving the trooper. Ultimately, the infant was pronounced deceased by paramedics, the press release stated.

“Tragedies like this can be prevented by following the safe sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute of Child Health and Development,” the release stated.

Safe sleep practices include: removing soft bedding, bumper pads, pillows and stuffed toys from a baby’s sleep environment; placing babies on a firm mattress that fits in an approved crib, with a tight-fitting sheet; placing babies to sleep on their backs; using wearable blankets instead of loose blankets; sharing a bedroom with parents, but not the same sleeping surface, preferably until the baby turns one, but at least for the first six months. Room-sharing decreases the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent; avoid baby’s exposure to smoke, alcohol and illicit drugs.