Cot Death in a Creche

HashSlinging

Hi All.

I'd like to get some opinions on this, I have recently found out that a very badly run crèche that my son attended in the past had a cot death a number of years ago.

This was never highlighted to us at the time and now I feel I endangered our son and did not investigate this place correctly. I would really like to name and shame to warn other parents from sending their children there, I'm looking for a link to a local paper with the details so its not deemed slanderous, but im not having any luck.

Do you think this is right thing to do, I just feel it is, its hard enough leaving our children everyday without having some of us losing them to badly run places like this.

Nevyn

If you wish to wish to proceed with this then ring the papers and ask to speak to a journalist about writing an article.

Cot deaths and sudden infant death happen.
There is yet no way to explain what exactly causes it.

Ayla

I am *in no way* an expert on the situation, but from what I do know, cot death can happen anywhere (even in the babe's own bed). It's an unfortunate experience for any parent to have to go through, and of course we all do our best to avoid it in any way possible.

But what I'm trying to say is that it may not be the fault of the creche. So what I'd say is that if the creche is badly run for other reasons, use them for a "name & shame" type notice. Don't give out to the creche for having one cot death "a number of years ago"...it's a tragedy of course, but it may not have been solely their fault.

That said, if the creche is truly a badly run facility, then of course other parents should be warned.

Avns1s

HashSlinging wrote:

Hi All.

I'd like to get some opinions on this, I have recently found out that a very badly run crèche that my son attended in the past had a cot death a number of years ago.

This was never highlighted to us at the time and now I feel I endangered our son and did not investigate this place correctly. I would really like to name and shame to warn other parents from sending their children there, I'm looking for a link to a local paper with the details so its not deemed slanderous, but im not having any luck.

Do you think this is right thing to do, I just feel it is, its hard enough leaving our children everyday without having some of us losing them to badly run places like this.

The cot death and badly run creche are likely to be very separate issues and unrelated. Certainly they are unlikely to be proven to be related directly. I'd think very carefully in the context of the libel laws before "warning" anyone about this creche on these grounds.

ircoha

HashSlinging wrote:

Hi All.

I'd like to get some opinions on this, I have recently found out that a very badly run crèche that my son attended in the past had a cot death a number of years ago.

This was never highlighted to us at the time and now I feel I endangered our son and did not investigate this place correctly. I would really like to name and shame to warn other parents from sending their children there, I'm looking for a link to a local paper with the details so its not deemed slanderous, but im not having any luck.

Do you think this is right thing to do, I just feel it is, its hard enough leaving our children everyday without having some of us losing them to badly run places like this.

Hashslinging:

Are you not actually mudslinging here.

What grounds have you got for saying the creche is very badly run? They are regulated and can be reported.

As to the cot death.
There is no way you can try and pin the cot death to the creche.
To do so is grossly irresponsible.
Did you bother to research the subject matter before posting this?

I showed this posting to a clinical pyschologist I do some work with and his opinion was that perhaps there is a lot of pent up guilt in your posting and you feel the need to do something about it.
Trying to pin the cot death on the creche is certainly not the way to address the underlying issues here

deisemum

If you have concerns about how the creche is run then contact your local PreSchool Officer.

If a baby died from cot death then that's a different matter as cot death can happen anywhere. There are babies who die from cot death in childcare facilities, that doesn't make it the childcare facility's fault if it's proven to be cot death or do you think whoever is looking after a baby at the time of a cot death ie parent, grandparent is equally responsible.

A girl I went to school with had her PHN do a check up on her new baby, everything was fine, they put the baby in it's crib for a nap while they had a cup of tea in the same sitting room. When the PHN stood up to leave she just looked at the baby only to find it had died of a cot death. If you're applying the same lack of logic as you appear to have with the creche do you then think the PHN or the mother are just as responsible

Creches are inspected and your former creche would have been thoroughly inspected after a cot death. It it was found that the creche was at fault I doubt very much that they'd have been allowed to continue. You can also request a copy of the inspection report of that creche under the FOI.

Are you now feeling guilty that you "did not investigate this place correctly" and are trying to reflect this on to the creche.

HashSlinging

Interesting points raised, good to see that there is a way of finding out, by requesting a copy of the magical "inspection report", but then again is it an inspection like what happens in an old folks home, we've all seen what happens there, maybe I should start hiding cameras and planting staff to make my point.

tbh

would the creche not have been investigated by the HSE or it's equivelant after the baby died?

Victor

HashSlinging, I think you might be over-reacting. You don't even say how it is a "very badly run crèche". Is there a history or something specific we should know about?

My god-daughter died from SIDS. It probably the worst feeling in the world. We've spent years asking "Why?", "Why us?", "Why her?". There are no available answers.

The main risk factors (there are other, but they are being debated) are:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_infant_death_syndrome#Risk_factors

Prenatal risks
* inadequate prenatal care
* inadequate prenatal nutrition
* tobacco smoking
* use of heroin
* teenage pregnancy
* less than a one year interval between subsequent births

Post-natal risks
* low birth weight (especially less than 1.5 kg (~3.3 lb)
* exposure to tobacco smoke
* laying an infant to sleep on his or her stomach (see positional plagiocephaly)
* failure to breastfeed
* excess clothing and overheating
* excess bedding, soft sleep surface and stuffed animals
* gender (61% of SIDS occur in males)
* age (incidence rises from zero at birth, is highest between 2-4 months and goes towards zero at one year)

The one that a creche could be responsible for are:
* exposure to tobacco smoke
* laying an infant to sleep on his or her stomach (see positional plagiocephaly)
* excess clothing and overheating
* excess bedding, soft sleep surface and stuffed animals

Now, I think if they had one cot death that they would be particularly conscious of the above.

ircoha wrote:

I showed this posting to a clinical pyschologist I do some work with and his opinion was that perhaps there is a lot of pent up guilt in your posting and you feel the need to do something about it.

I take it that you aren't a clinical pyschologist and I think your comments are excessive.

HashSlinging

Since we've taken out our child we have ran into other parents that have done the same thing, they had noticed one thing or another about the way the staff were around the children, they used to go through a lot of minders which really set the alarm bells ringing. There are many things I'd like to highlight but to be honest I dont see the point.

The cot death really got my back up last week, I was a bit angry about it since so many parents had such a bad experience with this place, I dont know the facts from that incident but from a creche management point of view you wouldn’t trust this lot with your "precious", and thats really the point im trying to make.

Victor

Then go to the inspectorate.

Shandra

I think that it is your duty to voice your concerns with the healthboard. I'm sure that they would have been made aware of the unfortunate incident a number of years ago but if you have current concerns I think you should report them and let the healthboard investigate, I think this would be more productive than going to the newspapers.

Big_Dirty_Pig

Victor wrote:

HashSlinging, I think you might be over-reacting. You don't even say how it is a "very badly run crèche". Is there a history or something specific we should know about?

My god-daughter died from SIDS. It probably the worst feeling in the world. We've spent years asking "Why?", "Why us?", "Why her?". There are no available answers.

The main risk factors (there are other, but they are being debated) are:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_infant_death_syndrome#Risk_factors

The one that a creche could be responsible for are:
* exposure to tobacco smoke
* laying an infant to sleep on his or her stomach (see positional plagiocephaly)
* excess clothing and overheating
* excess bedding, soft sleep surface and stuffed animals

Now, I think if they had one cot death that they would be particularly conscious of the above.

I take it that you aren't a clinical pyschologist and I think your comments are excessive.

Hi no offence and I know this is a bit Off Topic but I'm not sure I'd trust Wikipedia for facts.
I had a quick look at http://www.sidsireland.ie and I didn't see any mention of failure to breast feed as a factor.

I could be wrong though.