Relates to requiring maternity patients and the other parent of a newborn child to be educated in safe sleeping practices

BILL NUMBER:S5048

Title of bill

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring hospitals and birth centers to request each maternity patient and other parent of a newborn to view a video presentation on safe sleeping practices for newborns

Purpose or general idea of bill

This bill requires hospitals and birth centers to provide leaflets on safe and unsafe sleeping practices and to request each maternity patient and father of a newborn view a video presentation on unsafe and safe sleeping practices for newborns.

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1 of the bill amends Subdivision 1 to Section 2803-j of the Public Health Law by adding a new paragraph 1-d which requires hospitals and birth centers to distribute a leaflet prepared by the New York State Commissioner of Health that describes safe and unsafe sleeping practices and to provide certain statistical data regarding fatalities from unsafe sleeping practices.

Section 2 of the bill amends Section 2803-j of the public health law by adding a new subdivision 7 directing hospitals and birthing centers to request each maternity patient and father of a newborn view a video presentation prepared by the Commissioner of Health on safe sleeping practices for newborns and to make such video available to take home. Both the leaflet and video required by these two amendments are to be prepared in languages that will best convey such information to the patients who frequent such hospital and birthing center.

Section 3 provides an Effective Date.

Justification

Deaths caused by babies being put in unsafe sleeping environments are 100% preventable. Over a hundred of these deaths occur in New York State each and every year. Six infant deaths in Erie County in January of 2014 are thought to be attributable to altered sleeping practices due to the extreme cold weather during the winter of 2013-2014. It is evident that parents are unaware of the dangers that unsafe sleep environments pose to their babies.

Requiring hospitals and birth centers to request each maternity patient and father of a newborn view receive a leaflet and to view a video presentation on safe sleeping practices for newborns would result in more parents becoming aware of the dangers from unsafe sleeping and taking prevent steps to prevent these avoidable tragedies from occurring. This will ultimately save lives as more parents will give their baby a safe sleeping environment.

This is one in a series of measures being introduced at the request of the Erie County Executive upon the recommendation of the county's Commissioner of Social Services to improve the provision of child protective services to New York's children and families.

Prior legislative history

A. 9701 as of 2013/2014

Fiscal implications

Minimal.

Effective date

This act shall take on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become law.