(Le Mars) — Tom and Pam Jenery had noticed their four month old boy was no longer
breathing after they had placed the young infant in his crib for a night’s sleep.
The incident happened back in 1983. Little Steve Jenery had become one of several
thousand infants each year that fall victim to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or
simply SIDS. Since that time, the Jenery’s have become active with the SIDS
foundation, by informing others of the mysterious ailment that strikes infants
generally between two months to six months of age. The Jenery’s have also
organized events to raise money for SIDS research. Pam Jenery says usually once
infants reach one year of age, they are no longer as likely to die from SIDS.
After all these years, doctors are still uncertain as to what causes infants to
die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. However, Pam Jenery says doctors have
discovered some ways to reduce the onset of SIDS.
SIDS is not caused by suffocation, vomiting, or choking, and is not caused by
immunizations. Jenery explains what happens when an infant baby is stricken with
SIDS.
Jenery says the syndrome can strike any infant at anytime. However, for what ever
reason, infant boys are more suceptible than infant girls. According to Jenery,
statistics show that one of every one thousand infants is striken with Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome.
Jenery says upon the birth of their third child, she would do like most other
parents and constantly check to see if the baby would be breathing, often times
waking the child during the middle of the night.
There will be a SIDS awareness walk scheduled for Saturday morning with
registration at 8:30 a.m. at the Willow Creek Golf Course in Le Mars to help raise
funds and awareness. Jenery says the registration fee is $30 for adults and $12
for children, and with your registration, participants will receive a t-shirt.
Jenery says Le Mars is one of many sites across the state with a scheduled
Saturday SIDS memorial walk.
The annual SIDS memorial walk is about two miles. Walks will be held in Ankeny,
Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Mason City, Washington, What Cheer and Le Mars.
