Safe Sleep Recommendations

Keeping a baby safe and healthy starts from day zero (0) and routine prenatal care reduces your baby's risk of SIDS. Moms are encouraged to get regular prenatal care & avoid substance use during pregnancy. When receiving prenatal care, to the moment you bring your newborn home, to navigating the fourth trimester, parents and guardians should make the ABCs of safe sleep a priority for care of their newborn. Babies should sleep alone, on their back, and in a crib. These universal steps are referred to as the ABCs of safe sleep. It’s estimated that nearly 3,400 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly each year in the United States. Most of these tragic deaths are due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or accidental deaths from suffocation or strangulation.

The “A” in ABCs of safe sleep focuses on the baby sleeping alone. The safest place for your baby to sleep is on a separate sleep surface designed for babies to be close to the parents’ bed. Items like pillows, squishy toys, quilts/comforters/blankets, mattress toppers, non-fitted sheets, bumper pads or related products that attach to crib slats or sides should be removed from the baby’s sleep area. These objects can increase your baby's risk of entrapment, suffocation or strangulation. Use a fitted sheet only—nothing else should be in the crib (sleep area) with your baby. On May 16, 2022 the President signed into law the Safe Sleep Act of 2021, 15 U.S.C. §§ 2057d & 2057e. Effective November 12, 2022, regardless of the date of manufacture all “inclined sleepers for infants” and “crib bumpers” as defined in the Act, are considered banned hazardous products under section 8 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. § 2057).

The “B” in ABCs of safe sleep focuses a baby sleeping on their back. One of the best ways to reduce the risk of SIDS is to put healthy infants on their backs when placing them down to sleep at bedtime or naptime. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that all babies be placed on their backs to sleep in 1992 and since then deaths from SIDS have declined dramatically. In 1992, infant death due to SIDS was ~120 per 100,000 live births and this number decreased in 2020 to ~38 infant deaths per 100,000 live births; the total number of deaths due to SIDS in 2020 was ~1,389. Babies who sleep on their backs are much less likely to die suddenly and unexpectedly than babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides. The concern with sleeping on the side is that your baby can roll more easily onto their stomach. Some parents worry that babies will choke when they're on their backs but your baby's airway anatomy and their gag reflex will keep that from happening.

The “C” in ABCs of safe sleep focuses on sleeping in a Crib. Place your baby in a crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard that meets the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). A best practice is to check the CPSC website to make sure your crib hasn't been recalled, especially if it's not new. When considering a safe sleep environment for children, parents can choose from a variety of options on the marketplace (i.e. bedside sleeper, bassinet, etc). A firm surface means that it shouldn't indent when your baby is lying on it. Any surface that inclines more than 10 degrees isn't safe for your baby to sleep on. It is not recommended to use a crib without instructions, is missing hardware or is broken.

If a product doesn't meet CPSC or federal safety standards, avoid it. Please note some product manufacturers are making efforts to be transparent and have issued statements such as “Our Deluxe+ docks are not intended for sleep.” Other manufacturers found at stores like Target are informing consumers certain products (i.e. loungers) are not intended for sleep. Parents should check the manufacturer statements and warnings before using a product for sleep. AAP also has additional information at the following website: How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained - HealthyChildren.org.