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Nearly half of Arizona's child deaths could have been prevented

According to an annual report from the Dept. of Health Services

For the third year in a row, more children are dying in the state of Arizona. The state's health department says 806 children under the age of 18 died in 2017.

Those numbers are up from 783 in 2016 and 768 in 2015. 

One of the report's key findings was a nine percent increase in accidental deaths from 2016 to 2017 and nearly a third of those deaths happening in children under the age of one. 

Furthermore, 42 percent (337) could have been prevented all together.

The most common cause of infant deaths in Arizona was unsafe sleep suffocation often associated with sharing a bed.

"Babies should always sleep on their back and in addition to that we've learned that taking everything out of the crib, so anything soft or extra blankets or pillows should be out of the crib with a new baby," said Pediatrician Russell Horton with Banner Health Center in Queen Creek. 

Horton says Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is still somewhat of a mystery for health professionals, but they are finding some things do drastically reduce the risk. 

"Using a pacifier can actually be helpful to prevent SIDS, and breastfeeding has been shown to help prevent SIDS," Horton said.

You can view the full report here

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