Safe Sleep
Dukes Memorial Hospital is proud to partner with Cribs for Kids to promote safe sleep practices for all infants. Through this initiative, we are pleased to provide qualifying local families with a Pack 'n Play portable crib, as well as a sleep sack, so baby will have a place to sleep safely.
Thousands of sudden, unexpected infant deaths occur each year. Research indicates the vast majority are accidental and are due to babies sleeping in unsafe sleeping environments. Nearly three-fourths are attributed to bed sharing.
The safest way for baby to sleep is alone, on his or her back and in a safety-approved crib. To further reduce the risk of sleep-related deaths, the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends:
- A firm mattress with a tight fitting sheet
- Sleep sacks for baby
- Removal of all pillows, blankets, crib bumpers and toys from the sleep space
- Never letting baby sleep in a bed or chair with someone
- Maintaining a smoke free house
- Returning baby back to the crib prior to feeding
- Keeping baby's sleep area in the same room as mom and dad, but NOT in the same bed
Risks of Sharing Bed with Baby
The risks of an infant sleeping in an adult bed or bed sharing include:
- Entrapment between the bed and wall
- Entrapment involving the bed frame, headboard or footboard
- Falls from the bed
- Suffocation in soft bedding (pillows, thick quilts and comforters)
- Suffocation from an adult or another child laying on or rolling onto baby
Cribs for Kids® National Infant Safe Sleep Initiative is a voluntary health organization whose mission is to provide support to families, friends and communities affected by infant sleep-related death due to accidental suffocation.