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Gulfport woman arrested after 2 babies she co-slept with died

Nicole Ann Iannone was arrested after a 4-month-old she co-slept with died. Another baby she co-slept with died about a year and a half ago, police said.
 
Nicole Ann Iannone faces a manslaughter charge after a 4-month-old she was co-sleeping with died, police said.
Nicole Ann Iannone faces a manslaughter charge after a 4-month-old she was co-sleeping with died, police said. [ Pinellas County Sheriff's Office ]
Published Jan. 19, 2023|Updated Jan. 31, 2023

Gulfport police have arrested a woman who has had two infants die after she co-slept with them, arrest reports state.

Nicole Ann Iannone, 30, faces a charge of manslaughter. Police said she fell asleep holding a 4-month-old in her left arm and woke up to see that the child was not breathing. She called 911 and the child was pronounced dead Monday morning, according to an arrest affidavit.

About a year and a half ago, Iannone had co-slept with a 2-month-old who also died, police said. She told police that doctors and other medical professionals had warned her about the dangers of co-sleeping but she continued to do it anyway, even after the first child’s death, arrest affidavits state.

Police said they are gathering more information about the first infant’s cause of death, as the child died in another state. The second child’s cause of death remains under investigation, Gulfport Det. Jennifer Crowson said in an email.

Related: Did these parents accidentally suffocate their children? Or did a mysterious ailment cause them to die?

While parents are encouraged to sleep in the same room as their babies, sharing a bed or a couch with the infant can be dangerous, according to experts at the Florida SIDS Alliance.

That’s because falling asleep with an infant in the same bed or on a couch can put the baby at risk for strangulation or suffocation. Experts recommend keeping a crib, bassinet or even a dresser drawer near the bed so babies can easily be placed in a safe place to sleep, separate from the parents’ bed.

“The baby should be alone, on their back and in a crib. Now, the crib can be other sleep surfaces as long as they are considered safe sleep surfaces,” said Bunny Hamer, a board member with the Florida SIDS alliance.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also notes that soft bedding, such as bumper pads and blankets, should be kept out of infants’ cribs, along with toys.

Related: Florida expands campaign to help reduce accidental baby deaths