Guest commentary: Best safe sleep practices for newborns
Having a newborn is one of the most memorable and transformative experiences. It’s a time filled with precious moments and many important firsts, from the joy of first smiles to the challenges of learning new skills, such as changing diapers and creating a safe sleep environment.
Among all the new responsibilities, ensuring your baby’s safety while they’re sleeping is especially important. Unintentional suffocation is the leading cause of injury-related death among children under 1 year old. Nearly three-quarters of suffocation deaths among infants are from accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed.
Understanding these risks is crucial to creating a safe sleeping space for babies.
WHAT BABIES NEED TO SLEEP
It is a common misconception to assume that babies need blankets, pillows or other items for sleeping. While our first instinct may be to ensure that the baby is as comfortable as possible, he or she does not need anything to ensure a good night’s sleep. Nothing should be in the crib with the baby.
This includes:
– No toys
– No blankets
– No breathable blankets
– No pillows
– No bumper pads
In the last quarterly meeting, the Circuit 20 Child Abuse Death Review Team found that four infants in our region died from unsafe sleep, and they were all under 1 year old. Two of the four had case notes indicating that the infant used a “breathable blanket.” According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is not safe for babies under 1 year old to sleep with blankets, even if they are marketed as being breathable.
Although numbers reflect only a limited number of sleep-related tragedies, many more likely go unreported. According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, there were 69 sleep-related fatalities reported to the department’s hotline in 2019, the most recent year for which complete data is available.
Each year, more than 3,500 sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) happen in the United States. These deaths occur among infants less than a year old and have no immediately obvious cause.
Continued education and community support can help parents learn to adopt safe sleep practices.
A safe and supportive birth environment helps new parents understand and implement safe sleep habits.
Lee Health’s Cape Coral Hospital, Golisano Children’s Hospital and HealthPark Medical Center are gold-level certified by the national organization Cribs for Kids. The safe sleep program is led by Vilmarie Colon, a pediatric injury prevention specialist in the Child Advocacy Department.
Safe sleep certification from Cribs for Kids is the highest national recognition a hospital or community can receive for its commitment to safe sleep practices.
“When we educate new parents about safe sleep practices before they leave the hospital, we equip them with the knowledge to create the safest sleep environment for their newborns,” Colon said. “Unsafe sleep environments often result from babies sharing a bed with another person or being surrounded by excess blankets, pillows or toys. Suffocation happens when a baby’s airflow is blocked because of their sleeping position or something obstructing their breathing. Always be sure to practice the ABCs to ensure the baby sleeps safely and soundly. Education and empowerment can help us bring these numbers down.”
ADOPT SAFE SLEEP PRACTICES
Follow the ABCs:
– A – Alone. Infants should always sleep alone. Have the baby share your room, not your bed.
– B – On their Back. Place your baby on his or her back for all sleep times, including naps and at night.
– C – In a Crib. Use a firm sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib.
Here are some more safe sleep tips:
– Use a sleep sack or build layers of clothing to keep the baby warm.
– Babies should not sleep on beds, sofas, recliners, chairs, soft surfaces, bouncy chairs or baby swings. If this happens, make sure to return your baby to a safe sleep environment as soon as possible.
– Soft bedding can block a baby’s airway during sleep. A firm mattress covered with a tight-fitting crib sheet is all that’s needed to give the baby a good night’s sleep.
– Ensure the infant’s crib, bassinet or portable crib/play yard conforms to recommended safety standards
– Only mattresses and fitted sheets designed for the mattress should be used so that there are no gaps between the mattress and the side of the bed
– Avoid overheating and do not use head coverings while baby is sleeping
– Infants should not sleep on beds, couches, chairs or waterbeds. Portable bed rails should also not be used.
– Sitting devices such as car seats, strollers, swings, infant carriers and slings are not recommended for sleep. If an infant falls asleep in a sitting device, they should be removed from the product and moved to a crib or other appropriate flat surface as soon as possible.
– When infant slings and cloth carriers are used, ensure that the infant’s head is up and above the fabric, the face is visible, and the nose and mouth are not against the adult’s body or sling.
– Room sharing with the parents is recommended, but bed sharing is not recommended.
– Breastfeeding is recommended to help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), but it should be done in a safe place outside of the bed. If a caregiver is feeling exhausted or tired, it’s important to ask someone for support to help prevent accidents.
– Be sure to check for recalls on your baby’s products by visiting www.gov/recall.com.
At Lee Health, we’re proud to lead the way in safe sleep practices. From the moment a baby is born, our mission is to provide every new parent with the knowledge and support they need to help prevent sleep-related infant injuries and mortalities.
For more information about infant safety education, visit www.leehealth.org or call the Golisano Children’s Hospital’s Child Advocacy Department at 239-343-5101.
Julie Noble is the coordinator for Safe Kids at Lee Health’s Golisano Children’s Hospital. For more information, visit https://www.leehealth.org/.