Baltimore Region Community Programs

Title: Center for Infant And Child Loss
Description: The Center for Infant and Child Loss assists families as they learn to live with the sudden unexpected loss of their child (0 to 12 years of age) and to have hope for the future. Working closely with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, families are contacted and supported through the diagnosis process and provided ongoing grief support. The Center is also the State's Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Information and Counseling Program (SIDS). SIDS continues to be the single leading cause of death among infants. Risk reduction practices can lower the incidence of SIDS, and the Center makes every effort to educate parents, professionals and communities in risk-reduction practices through trainings, media events and literature. The most often recognized risk reduction is 'Back to Sleep,' but the messages also include all aspects of providing a safe environment for children.

The Center currently has two state-wide efforts. The first focuses on risk reduction. All Maryland hospitals with obstetrical departments are distributing "Back to Sleep /Tummy to Play" light switch covers to approximately 70,000 parents of newborns. The covers highlight placing baby on her back to sleep, to reduce the risk of SIDS and other infant deaths, and on her tummy to play, to encourage muscle development. The second initiative targets bereaved families struggling with the immediate impact of their loss, and was conceived and funded by Center families. The Empty Arms Project provides a packet to newly bereaved parents upon leaving the emergency department. The packet contains a stuffed bear with a ribbon imprinted with the Center's toll-free number, and a card giving suggestions for coping in the next few hours and days following their child's death.
Website: http://www.infantandchildloss.org/
School(s): Medicine
Contacts:
Jean Edwards
410-328-4474


Community Served: Statewide
Services Provided: Health education
Services Provided Other: Grief Counseling, SIDS information center,
Client type:
Client Type Other: Adult Families grieving loss of child 0-12 years old
Physical Location:
School System Served: NA
Office Location:
Service Location: 110 S. Paca Street, 6th Floor, Ste 300, Baltimore, MD 21201
Program Timeframe: Continuous
Health Fairs:

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