Promoting safe sleep can help save some of the 3,500 infants who die suddenly and unexpectedly while sleeping. Many of these deaths are due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation, entrapment, and strangulation. This is almost 10 babies a day. That is a pretty startling number to digest and is why I want to focus on safe sleep for Baby Safety Month.
Did you know more than half of moms aren’t putting their babies to sleep safely? According to a new study done by the Academy of Pediatrics, only 43% of moms put their newborns to sleep in the right position which is on their backs. Placing babies on their backs before they go to sleep reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as well as other sleep-related infant deaths like suffocation
According to Healthy Mom&Baby, studies have proven babies don’t choke more on their backs because their feeding tube (esophagus) is positioned below/behind the airway tube (trachea). Thus, when a baby on their back regurgitates fluid, it will pool next to the esophagus, not the trachea. The opposite is true when babies are on their tummies. And side-positioning isn’t recommended because infants may roll over too soon when put to sleep in this position. They may not be strong enough yet to move themselves out of danger, such as from blankets.
If you are a new parent or want to learn safe sleep tips for your baby, here are Health Mom&Baby’s ABC’s of safe sleep:
To let your baby sleep in a baby approved bed, like a crib, alone. Putting your baby to sleep alone can reduce their risk of SIDS.
- Back to Sleep. Put your baby on their back when they go to sleep and not on their side or propped up on the pillow.
- The crib. Make sure you don’t have crib bumpers, no stuffed toys, and no blankets around that could increase the risk of SIDS . There should be nothing in the crib but a tightly fitted mattress with a tightly fitted sheet.
By incorporating the ABC’s of safe sleep with your newborn, you can help ensure the safety of your baby during sleep. For more safe sleep tips for your baby, please visit health4mom.org.