Comp My Commute: Here’s your codeword to enter to win an unlimited MetroCard. WEST JORDAN, Utah — A toddler died at a Utah day care center Thursday when an employee accidentally sat on top of the bean bag chair the boy was hiding underneath. Leonardo Sanchez, 1, was dropped off by his mother at the West Jordan Child Center morning. It would be the last time she saw him alive. "He was a cute bundle of joy, he brought a lot of love," said Danielle Sanchez, Leonardo's mother told FOX13. West Jordan Police say Leonardo was underneath a bean bag chair when a daycare employee accidentally sat on top of him while reading a book to the rest of the children. Police say the toddler suffocated. "It just baffles me, makes me wonder, she must not have felt him, she must not have heard him," Sanchez said. Police are investigating surveillance video from inside of the daycare. As of Saturday afternoon, the employee is not facing any charges. The daycare released a statement regarding Leonardo's death:
“We regret deeply the tragic death of a young toddler at our daycare facility. No words adequately describe the depth of the sorrow we feel. And, of course, we do not pretend to understand how devastating this is for the family. We know the family well, we grieve with them, and we pray that God will provide them the comfort and peace they inevitably will need.” West Jordan Child Center has been in violation twice in the last five years, FOX13 reports. The facility received one violation for lack of supervision on their patio area. The other was for having a hole in the fence where a child could have escaped. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Leonardo's family with funeral expenses. As of 4 p.m., Saturday, nearly $5,000 had been raised. Leonardo would have been celebrating his second birthday on Sept. 17. Man charged after girlfriend’s son, 3, was found unconscious with skull fracture under his care Death of 3-year-old boy in 2016 ruled a homicide, police say
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Police confirmed Friday the child suffocated after crawling under the bean bag chair, which an employee then sat on without realizing the boy was there. A GoFundMe page created on behalf of the victim’s family identifies the boy as Leonardo Sanchez, and family says the boy would have turned 2 years old later this month. Danielle Sanchez, Leonardo’s mother, spoke to Fox 13 News, saying she doesn’t understand how the daycare could have lost track of her son and allowed this to happen. She said they hope to view the surveillance footage from the center soon. Sanchez said she isn’t personally upset with the employee who sat on the chair, but she said the daycare should have done more to keep track of the children under their care. Click here for more from Sanchez’s interview. The incident occurred sometime Thursday at West Jordan Child Center, 7195 South Redwood Road. The management at the center released the following statement Friday: “We regret deeply the tragic death of a young toddler at our daycare facility.
No words adequately describe the depth of the sorrow we feel. And, of course, we do not pretend to understand how devastating this is for the family. The GoFundMe page states the boy’s parents and three siblings, “are heartbroken by the loss of their handsome, sweet baby boy.” Fox 13 News will have more information as it becomes available. Home » Infants » Positional Asphyxia Positional asphyxia happens when a person can't get enough air to breathe due to the positioning of his/her body. This happens most often in infants, when an infant dies and is found in a position where his/her mouth and nose is blocked, or where his/her chest may be unable to fully expand. It is felt that the positioning of the infant led to a lack of oxygen and a death by asphyxia (suffocation.) Examples include an infant found wedged between a mattress and the wall, an infant sleeping on a couch with an adult who is found with his face pushed against the cushions of the couch. Positional asphyxia varies from a death from SIDS in a few important ways.
A child is said to die of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) if he/she: is less than 1 year of age, died while sleeping and that death remains unexplained after a thorough investigation, including a complete autopsy and review of the circumstances of death and clinical history. An infant who dies while sleeping in an otherwise safe sleeping environment may still be called a SIDS death even if he/she is found with his mouth/nose in the mattress as long as no other reason for the death can be found. Why does it happen? Positional asphyxia occurs when an infant is put to sleep or falls asleep in an unsafe sleeping environment or in an unsafe position. Examples of unsafe sleeping environments can include: Infants sharing a bed with others Cribs with mattresses that don't properly fit Cribs with sheepskins, quilts, other soft surfaces An unsafe position would include: Sleeping in an infant carrier with head covered, or face against soft surface (including parent's chest)
Prevention of positional asphyxia includes many of the same things that help to prevent SIDS: Infants are safest when sleeping in their own crib or bassinet with a firm mattress that fits well and no extra pillows/quilts/soft toys in the area. Infants should be placed on their back to sleep. To promote breastfeeding, the baby should be in the same room as the mother, but while sleeping should be in his/her own crib/bassinet. If a parent chooses to sleep with their babies, the bed should not have any blankets, comforters or pillows and should not be against a wall or have space where the baby could fall between mattress and a side, head or foot board. Parents who sleep with their babies should not use any substance (alcohol, drugs, sleeping pills, narcotic pain medications) that would make it difficult for them to wake up. Sleep in safe environment - crib or bassinet without loose materials or soft bedding and with a mattress that fits If baby falls sleep in your arms, on the couch, on pillows, etc., and you don't have a crib handy and/or you need to leave the area or are falling asleep yourself - put the baby on his/her back on the floor.