The Washington County Health Department is reminding parents and caregivers of steps to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related infant deaths, including suffocation.
Babies should be placed on their backs for every sleep, including naps and nighttime. Parents and caregivers should keep babies in the same room, close to their bed, on a separate sleep surface designed for infants.
The sleep surface should be firm and flat, such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib, covered only by a fitted sheet. Other bedding and soft items should be kept out of the sleep area. These recommendations align with the National Institutes of Health’s Safe to Sleep guidance. Safe to Sleep®
The department’s graphic cites a 2018 CDC source reporting that about 3,500 infants died suddenly and unexpectedly each year in the United States, with most deaths attributed to SIDS and other sleep-related causes.
For crib safety information, contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772 or visit cpsc.gov.
Photo credits to Washington County Health Department
