SAN ANTONIO – A 4-month-old baby died while sleeping on an air mattress on the city's Northwest Side, San Antonio police said Friday.
It happened in the 4400 block of Gardendale around 3 p.m.
It is not yet clear how she died, but police did say the baby's death was accidental.
The medical examiner will release the cause of death once the autopsy is performed.
A Consumer Product Safety Commission report from 2007 found that since 2002 the CPSC has received reports of 16 tragic deaths connected with air mattress use.
Most of the reports were infants younger than 8 months old who were sleeping on the mattresses.
Eleven of the children suffocated while in a face-down position, while five died after falling into gaps between the mattress and a bed frame, wall or other objects.
The CPSC warns air mattresses are too soft for use with sleeping infants.
CPSC recommends these safe sleeping tips:
- Always place your baby to sleep on his or her back to reduce the risk of SIDS.
- Never place baby to sleep on an adult bed. Infants can suffocate on bedding or can become entrapped between the mattress and bed frame or mattress and wall.
- When using a crib, make sure it meets current safety standards, has a firm, tight-fitting mattress and tight-fitting bottom sheet.
- When using a portable crib or play yard, be sure to use only the mattress or pad provided by the manufacturer.