Safe Sleep: Going From "To Do" to "To Done"
Juliette M. Brown
MHS, CHES
Injury Prevention Coordinator, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas
Okay, do I have any fellow list-makers out there? Come on... I know you are out there... Some of you would qualify for "List-Makers Anonymous" if such a thing existed. Well, I confess, I make lists….a lot of lists. In fact, I’m convinced I’d be far less productive with out them. I make daily lists, weekly lists, party planning lists, vacation packing lists, and "honey-do" lists.
So why not a new parent "to do" list? I’m sure there are a few things that come to mind right off the bat that you’d like to put on the list! Maybe some things that you’ve been putting off are too embarrassing to admit on paper- like shave your legs or groom your brows. But I was thinking more of a "to do" list centered around your baby. The Injury Prevention Program at Dell Children’s Medical Center wants you to put safe sleep at the top of your new baby "to do" list. You might be wondering "what does safe sleep mean"? How can sleeping be dangerous?
Babies and young children are at risk for unintentional suffocation while sleeping. A baby’s mouth, nose, and/or face can get covered up while they are sleeping and cause the baby to suffocate. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, more commonly known as SIDS, is the leading cause of death for infants between 1 month and 12 months of age. Although SIDS is defined as a sudden and otherwise unexplainable infant death, studies have shown that there known risk factors, that when addressed, can reduce the risk of SIDS for your baby. Below is a New Baby "To Do" List that you can print and add to.
Safe Sleep Practices
American Academy of Pediatrics, A Child Care Providers Guide to Safe Sleep, 2008.- Always place my baby to sleep on his/her back – at night time AND nap times.
- Talk to all the caregivers that my baby spends time with and explain that I want my baby put to sleep on his/her back.
- Dress my baby lightly for sleep time. Over-bundling my baby can be dangerous. Babies experience room temperatures the same way as adults do, so note how I am dressed and use that as a gauge for how to dress my baby. Set my thermostats to ensure that light sleep clothing is all that is necessary. Do not use thick blankets to keep my baby warm while he/she sleeps.
- If I feel like I need to use a blanket, use only a thin blanket tucked in around the edges of the crib mattress.
Safe Sleep Environment
National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, Back to Sleep Campaign- Select a safe sleep location for my baby. The safest place for my baby to sleep is in a safety-approved crib or bassinet in the same room as me or my baby’s other caregivers.
- Check that the crib or bassinet mattress is firm and fits well – without any gaps between the borders of the mattress and the crib or bassinet edges. Use a fitted sheet to cover the mattress.
- Remove all soft or puffy objects from my baby’s sleep location. Thick quilts or comforters, pillow-like bumpers, stuffed toys, and pillows should all be removed.
- Do not allow smoking around my baby.
- Place my baby back into a separate sleep area when I finish breast feeding in bed. Other people in bed with a small baby can roll-over onto the baby and smother the baby.
Our goal is for you to take this list and check off each item as you do it. It feels so good to go from "to do" to "to done" when it’s for your baby’s health and safety!