Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued the first update of safe sleep practices in seven years to re-educate pediatricians and parents on how to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). SUID is on the rise due to a lack of understand of safe sleep guidelines.
“We are concerned about the rise of SUID, which includes deaths due to asphyxiation, entrapment and suffocation,” said Ann C. Halbower, MD, Pediatric Pulmonologist at the Breathing Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “The same safe sleep practices protect infants from both SIDS and SUID.”
How can I protect my baby?
Infants need a protected environment for safe sleep, starting with a crib or bassinet that meets Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines. To meet these guidelines, crib or bassinet slats should be 2 3/8 inches or shorter, and cribs should not have drop sides. The mattress should be firm and designed for the crib or bassinet.
What’s a checklist of things to remember for safe sleep?
Parents can help ensure their infants are not in danger as they sleep by following the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics for safe sleep.
- Allow baby to sleep in the same room, but not in the same bed.
- Avoid covering baby’s head.
- Breast-feed to maximize nutrition and reduce risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- Choose a firm sleep surface, such as a bassinet or crib with a tight-fitting sheet.
- Immunize your infant.
- Include supervised daily “tummy time” to promote proper development.
- Offer pacifiers at naptime and bedtime.
- Place infants on their backs to sleep.
- Never place infants in a bed with other children or adults or on soft surfaces designed for another purpose, such as a couch, covered dresser or pillows.
- Quit smoking after conception and continue to live smoke-free after baby’s arrival.
- Remember that materials marketed to promote safe sleep or reduce the risk of SIDS, such as monitors, positioners or wedges, are not replacements for mindful parenting.
- Remove soft objects — including blankets, crib bumpers and soft toys — from the bassinet or crib as they can pose choking or smothering hazards.
- Take care to not overdress infants, choosing seasonally appropriate pajamas and adding a sleep sack — not a blanket — when infants are cold.
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Author: Mile High Mamas
