CDPH Weekly Media Brief, 10/15/2026

Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month

As October marks Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Awareness Month, the Chicago Department of Public Health is helping Chicago families understand the risk hidden in everyday infant sleep environments: suffocation.

According to research from Cook County Health and Rush University, an infant dies during sleep about once a week in Cook County. Sleep-related deaths remain the leading cause of death for infants between one month and one year old, and they are almost always linked to unsafe sleep environments. It disproportionately affects Black and Latino families compared to white families.

Recent data from Cook County highlights the urgency of this issue:

• From 2019 to 2023, 208 infants died suddenly and unexpectedly during sleep.
• 135 (66%) died while sharing an adult bed, couch, or other sleep surface with another person.
• The sleep-related infant death rate for Black infants was 14 times that of white infants.
• The rate for Latino infants was 2.3 times that of white infants.

CDPH's goal is to help families see that sleep-related infant death is not something that just happens, it's avoidable. By recognizing the conditions that can create a suffocation risk and taking steps to eliminate them, caregivers can make their baby's sleep environment safer.

For more information and tips to avoid infant suffocation, visit chicago.gov/safesleep.

2026 Chicago Latina Expo

CDPH will be at the 2026 Latina Expo October 23 and 24 at Malcolm X College, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The health department will provide free resources to help keep families healthy, including health screenings, safe sleep tips for babies, and support for new families who give birth at one of our 11 partner hospitals through our Family Connects program.

CDPH will also be sharing info on our WIC program (Women, Infants, and Children), with 14 clinic locations across Chicago offering nutrition support, breastfeeding help, and connections to health and social services

Connect with CDPH and other community partners, all resources available in English and Spanish. We're here to help you and your family live healthier, longer lives.

For more information, visit: Latina Expo 2026 on Eventbrite

Healthy Chicago Podcast

This respiratory illness season, CDPH strongly recommends everyone receives the flu, COVID-19, and RSV immunizations recommended for them. Dr. Brian Borah, State Epidemiologist at the Illinois Department of Public Health (and former frequent host of Healthy Chicago Podcast), returns to the show to speak with Dr. Alex Sloboda, CDPH Medical Director of Immunizations and Emergency Preparedness, about the updated respiratory illness vaccination guidance, why it's important to listen to science-based advice, and how everyone can stay safe as illnesses increase across the country.

Listen on the platform of your choice or watch the latest episode on YouTube!

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