Mom Loses Her Baby in a Tragic Accident That Can Happen to Anyone

One grieving mom has decided to publicly share a crucial warning to all new parents about how a simple item on a crib can lead to a fatal accident.  

U.S.-based mom Jordan DeRosier wrote a heartbreaking post on her Facebook page upon the sudden loss of her son, Sloan. Her 7-month-old met a tragic accident caused by loose bedding his crib.

“He was last laid down to bed with this blanket made by his great-great grandmother, and one other blanket, a grey one he had been attached to since birth,” she wrote. “They took the grey one he had been found with his head in. He had pulled it through the crib rails somehow and gotten himself stuck in it.”  

“You never think it will happen to you. You never think it will be your baby,” she continued. 

In a separate post, Jordan revealed she was the one who found her baby. “I went in to get him from his crib at 9:48 a.m., opened the door, and noticed he was on his stomach with his beloved blankie around only his head. I yanked it off, touched his back and felt that he was ice cold…His face and chest were completely purple on one side. His lips blue. His eyes closed,” she said. 

Jordan recalled that the next moments were filled with intense panic and fear. Her husband, Justin, and two neighbors who rushed to their home upon hearing her screams made several attempts to revive Sloan. The paramedics soon arrived and gave them the heartbreaking news that her son was gone.

Sloan was a rainbow baby. He was born after Jordan and Justin endured miscarriages and underwent fertility treatments.

“Justin sat down beside me as we cradled Sloan in our arms. He couldn't bear the pain of what was happening and began hyperventilating, requiring assistance,” she said. “We kissed [Sloan], covering him in tears, we gasped for air as they took him out of my reluctant arms. Our baby was gone. Those had been the last moments we would ever hold him again.”

Jordan pleaded with parents with infants to be extra careful when it comes to their babies' bedding. “Please do not put your babies to bed with a blanket. Please. He was 7 months old, I thought because he was crawling, standing on his own, and climbing, that he would be fine with a blanket,” she implored in the post that showed her clutching a blanket beside her older son. 

“I will relive this for the rest of my life knowing EXACTLY what I could have done differently. Please learn from my world-shattering mistake,” it read. 

Pediatricians continue to stress the importance of following safe sleep practices in newborns and babies up to a year old. Suffocation and entrapment are real dangers that take the lives of thousands of babies year after year, according to an updated policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The guidelines state that infants should not be put to bed with soft objects and loose bedding, such as pillows, comforters, blankets and bumper pads, that can obstruct an infant's nose and mouth. 

“Infant sleep clothing, such as a wearable blanket, is preferable to blankets and other coverings to keep the infant warm while reducing the chance of head covering or entrapment that could result from blanket use,” said the statement. 

The guidelines have over 15 recommendations that parents need to know to practice safe sleep at home. It includes laying down a baby to sleep on her back, putting a baby to sleep on a firm surface (on a mattress in a crib, for example, and never on a couch), providing the baby with ample ‘tummy time’ when awake, and room-sharing with the baby until she’s at least 6 months old. 

Read the guidelines in full here and know more about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) here.