Suffocation was the leading cause of death for babies in Illinois last year. Department of Children and Family Services Spokesman Dave Clarkin says most of the deaths were preventable.
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Forty Illinois babies died from suffocation last year. That’s 44-percent of the 90 deaths by abuse or neglect last year. Clarkin explains other major causes of death.
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Ninety babies in Illinois died as a result of neglect or abuse last year, 69-percent never made it to their first birthday. Clarkin adds people often witness abuse but are afraid to speak up.
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Clarkin urges anyone who witnesses abuse to report it by calling a hotline at 1-800-25-Abuse. He says they received nearly 250-thousand tips last year, which may have saved the lives of tens of thousands of Illinois children.