Local officials and healthcare leaders are once again urging parents to follow safe sleep guidelines for infants, warning that co-sleeping continues to claim young lives in Scioto County—and that every one of those deaths is preventable.
Speaking on behalf of the Scioto County Infant Safe Sleep Project, officials stressed a simple but critical message:
It is never okay to sleep with your baby.
Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman shared a sobering perspective from the front lines.
“As a first responder, I have witnessed the pain of parents losing a child to co-sleeping,” Thoroughman said. “Those parents often think they’ll know if they’re obstructing their baby’s breathing—but exhaustion makes that impossible. They’re left living with something that was completely preventable.”
Health officials say the safest sleep setup is clear and non-negotiable:
- Babies should sleep alone
- On their backs
- In a crib
- On a firm mattress with a fitted sheet only
- No blankets, pillows, bumpers, or toys
- Never on an adult bed, couch, or recliner
- Never with another person—adult or child
Sharing a room is encouraged. Sharing a bed is not.
Detective Jody Conkel, lead investigator for the Scioto County Special Victims Unit, says infant deaths linked to co-sleeping remain a heartbreaking and recurring call.
“It’s devastating,” Conkel said. “Getting a call that parents fell asleep with their baby and woke up to find the child deceased—it’s beyond frustrating because it didn’t have to happen. Infants must sleep alone on a firm surface. Every time.”
Pediatrician Dr. TJ Stidham echoed that warning, calling infant loss one of the most painful aspects of his profession.
“The consequences of co-sleeping can be the worst thing imaginable,” Stidham said. “It is never okay to co-sleep with your baby.”
Officials emphasize that lack of resources should never be a barrier to safe sleep. Help is available:
- Scioto County Health Department: 740-355-8358
- Portsmouth City Health Department: 740-353-8863
- Need a crib? Community Action: 740-354-7545
The message from first responders, investigators, and doctors is unified and urgent:
Safe sleep saves lives.
