It might seem that children would be relatively safe while they are confined to a crib or other sleeping area while at daycare, but unfortunately, both of these places could be dangerous for a child. There are all too many stories about children who are injured or die while supposedly being supervised in sleeping areas.
Proper Sleep Positioning for Infants
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that the best position for sleeping infants is on their backs. Studies have shown that this position helps to reduce the chance of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It is believed that putting infants on their stomachs means they get less fresh oxygen with less oxygen and leads to “rebreathing” the air from a small pocket of bedding around the infant’s nose. Daycare centers should follow this rule unless the child’s physician has provided documentation as to an alternate sleeping position.
Other proper sleep positioning protocols for infants include:
- Placing the infant in a crib that has a firm mattress with an appropriate-sized fitted sheet that cannot be easily dislodged from the mattress
- Moving an infant to a crib if they have fallen asleep elsewhere
- Avoiding swaddling an infant who has begun to roll over independently
- Never leaving the child in the crib with the drop gate down
In Texas, caregivers must be trained to understand and use safe sleep practices to help prevent SIDS. This training relates to sleep requirements and restrictions, including sleep positioning, and crib requirements and restrictions, including mattresses, bedding, blankets, toys, and restrictive devices. Daycare centers also have specific rules regarding the number of children workers can supervise during naptime.
Safe Sleeping Supervision for Toddlers and Preschoolers at Dallas Daycares
Toddlers and preschoolers over the age of 18 months who are under the center’s care for five or more hours must be given rest time. Naptime is not time off for daycare providers. Instead, it is an important part of your child’s day during which your child should be supervised, and daycare providers are responsible for compliance with all relevant safety regulations.
Napping equipment must not block entrances or exits to the area, and it should be arranged to provide caregivers with adequate space between sleeping places. Children and caregivers both should have access to walkways so they do not have to walk on or over where other children are sleeping. The area must be arranged so caregivers can adequately supervise the children who are napping.
Children who are not in a safe and secure sleep space with adequate supervision at daycare are at an increased risk of injury, including:
What to Do After a Daycare Sleep Injury in Dallas
If you suspect your child was injured because the daycare was negligent about sleep arrangements, report the incident immediately. Talk to the teacher who was in charge when the incident occurred. Find out as much as you can about what led to the injury. Ask what the daycare provider did after the injury happened. If the injury was serious, the provider should have sought immediate emergency medical treatment.
Even if the daycare already got medical treatment for your child, you should always take your child to a physician following an injury. Often the symptoms of a severe injury don’t show up until later, which makes a doctor’s exam crucial. If a child is diagnosed and treated for an injury, or if the unimaginable has happened and your child lost their life, daycare negligence could be to blame.
Contact The Button Law Firm
We are passionate about keeping children safe when they are at daycare centers. If your child was injured, and you suspect that daycare negligence is the cause, you need an attorney to help build a case against the daycare. You and your child deserve justice, and filing a case against the daycare can also prevent the same injury from happening to other children. Call today for a no-obligation consultation.
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