Pasco Kids First’s February Featured Spotlight for #PKFMissionMonday is focused on safe sleep which is taught by our Healthy Families Pasco-Hernando Program. In 2019, infant sleep related deaths were the leading cause of preventable child deaths in Florida. Often, we think our babies are sleeping in a safe environment but, they are not.
You can help keep your baby safe during sleep using the following tips:
  • Place your baby on his or her back for all sleep times—naps and at night.
  • Babies’ anatomy and gag reflex will prevent them from choking while sleeping on their backs. Babies who sleep on their sides or stomachs are at an increased risk of SIDS.
  • Place your baby to sleep in a safety-approved crib or bassinette.
  • Cribs should have a firm, flat mattress covered only by a fitted sheet. Sleeping on soft surfaces can increase the risk of sleep-related death.
  • Keep your baby’s crib or bassinet in the same room where you sleep for the first year of life.
  • Sharing a room with your baby is much safer than bed sharing and may decrease the risk of SIDS by as much as 50%. Do not smoke in the room where the baby sleeps.
  • Keep soft bedding such as blankets, pillows, bumper pads and toys out of your baby’s sleep area.
  • Additionally, do not cover your baby’s head or allow your baby to get too hot. Dress your baby in no more than one layer more than you would wear. If you are concerned your baby will get cold, use a wearable blanket.
  • Offer a pacifier. Pacifier use has been linked to a decreased risk of SIDS. For breastfed infants, delay pacifier introduction until 1 month of age to ensure breastfeeding is firmly established.
  • Tell everyone who takes care of your baby how to keep him or her safe during sleep.
Please view this short videos on Safe Sleep. https://youtu.be/_ABRMqFWxcU
safe sleep