The Shawnee Dispatch / 7-month-old suffocates in bassinet

Archive for Monday, August 25, 2008

August 25, 2008

A 7-month-old girl suffocated to death Thursday at a home in the 14200 block of 67th Street when she became caught beneath a structural rod in her bassinet.

Captain Rod Copeland said the girl was in a Simplicity-brand bassinet that had a rod that ran parallel to the bed's mattress on both sides. The mattress had adjustable heights and had been lowered to the lowest height. It was not properly attached on one side, allowing the baby to slide down under the rod, her head becoming caught between the rod and mattress.

Other media reports previously stated the baby may have been attempting to get out of the bed when she became caught, but Copeland said it was more likely that she became caught as she rolled around in her sleep.

Talking points

Do you think Veterans Day should be a prominent holiday?

Absolutely. We wouldn’t be able to sit here and eat lunch like this if it weren’t for the veterans. We’ve got millions of people that fought and died to save this country; it should be more than a bank holiday.

— Byron Arthur

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