Knox County’s Regional Forensic Center is sounding a very public alarm after seeing a sharp rise in infant sleep-related deaths across East Tennessee. In a series of photos and stats shared on social media, the center says it is seeing more babies who died after sleeping with a loved one or in unsafe crib setups. Staff plan to team up with the Knox County Health Department this week to push out evidence-based safety tips on social platforms, all while state-level data show Tennessee’s infant mortality rate still sits above the national average.
Forensic center shares stark local numbers
In a detailed post on Facebook, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center reported that infant sleep-related deaths climbed just over 71 percent from 2024 to 2025. Positional asphyxia, which includes deaths from overlay or smothering, accounted for 24 fatalities last year across the center’s 23 partner counties, up from 14 two years earlier, according to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center. The center said it will work with the Knox County Health Department to publish daily posts this week with tips and links to resources. “These are tragedies that can be largely prevented through awareness and putting safe sleep recommendations into practice,” RFC director Chris Thomas wrote in the post.
State report shows preventable sleep deaths
The state-level picture is not much better. Tennessee’s 2025 Infant Mortality Annual Report found that the 2023 infant mortality rate was 6.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, a figure about 16.1 percent higher than the national average, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. Nearly four in five sleep-related infant deaths were classified as probably preventable. The report highlights unsafe bedding, bed-sharing, and preterm birth as major contributors and calls for broad promotion of the ABCs of safe sleep in communities across the state.
Knox County resources and outreach
Locally, the Knox County Health Department rolled out its "Mighty Moments" resource site in December to pull together guidance for new parents, including safe-sleep information, KCHD health planner Chelsea Gouty told WVLT. The Regional Forensic Center’s post also noted that KCHD and community partners have been distributing cribs to families who need them as part of the prevention effort, and officials urged caregivers to tap into county resources for on-demand education and support. Those crib-distribution efforts are detailed in the center’s recent Knox County Regional Forensic Center update.
What pediatric experts recommend
Pediatric experts say the basics still matter. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that infants sleep alone, on their Backs and in a Crib on a firm, flat surface, guidance that is intended to lower the risk of sudden unexpected infant death and accidental suffocation. The group also recommends room-sharing but not bed-sharing, keeping soft bedding and objects out of the sleep area, and limiting caregiver exposure to smoke, alcohol, and illicit drugs, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Where to get help
The Knox County Regional Forensic Center performs autopsies for 23 counties and conducted more than 2,000 exams last year, which gives staff an unusually broad view of regional trends in infant deaths, according to WOKI. For local safe-sleep information and crib-assistance programs, families can visit the county’s Mighty Moments site and check the Regional Forensic Center’s recent social media posts for contact details and enrollment information for crib-distribution efforts.
