South and West sides have highest rates of infant sleep deaths in Cook County

Cook County's South and West sides have the highest rates of infant sleep deaths, with 208 sudden and unexpected infant deaths recorded between 2019 and 2023. A report by Rush University Medical Center and the Cook County medical examiner's office found most deaths occurred in adult beds or on couches, disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic infants. Poverty, crowded housing, and educational disparities are linked to higher death rates.