Iowa health agency offering free baby cribs to mothers

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - Iowa health officials are offering free cribs to mothers in hopes of preventing infant deaths related to unsafe sleeping practices.

It is a part of a new program called "Cribs for Kids" that the Iowa Department of Public Health announced Thursday.

Four counties are participating in the yearlong experiment with help from Meridian Health Plan of Iowa. The state is providing $75,000 and Meridian is adding $5,000.

The four counties are Black Hawk, Clinton, Hamilton and Des Moines. KCRG-TV (http://bit.ly/18TJ1Z0 ) reports they have the highest infant mortality rate in the state.

At the Allen Hospital in Waterloo, nurses and social workers always asked new mothers if they had sleeping arrangements at home before they were discharged. When mothers told them they did not have a crib, there was not much that could be done. Now those who do not have one will be able to take home a crib that hospitals can purchase for about $50 each using the grant money. There are no income restrictions for parents to receive free cribs.

Sandy Kahler, with the Allen Hospital Women's Center, told the station that the hospital expects to hand out 30 to 40 new cribs per month.

Unsafe sleeping practices include parents sharing their bed with a baby or using a drop side crib that could potentially trap a child. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, is a primary concern related to unsafe sleeping practices.

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Information from: KCRG-TV, http://www.kcrg.com