Safe Infant Sleep

Did you know

• Suffocation and strangulation in an adult bed is the leading cause of injury-related death for Florida infants under age 1.
• The risk of sleeping-related infant death is 40 times higher for babies who sleep in adult beds compared to babies who sleep in their own cribs.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies are safest when sleeping alone, on their backs, in a crib in the parents’ room* for the first six months of life. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends the following:

• The crib should be undamaged and meet current Consumer Product Safety guidelines www.cpsc.gov
• The crib mattress should fit tightly in its frame and have a snug fitted sheet.
• If a blanket is needed, babies should be placed with their feet near the foot of the crib and covered from the chest down with a thin blanket that is then tucked around the sides and bottom of the mattress to avoid covering the baby’s head.
• No other objects should be placed in the crib.
• Offering a pacifier has also 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.

*If the parent or their partner smokes in the bedroom, the crib should be placed in a room that is smoke free.