How to Create a Safe Sleep Environment

You want the best for your baby, to make sure he/she’s comfortable and happy. But a lot of the things that you think might make for a better night’s sleep— pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, extra clothes, etc.— can increase your baby’s risk of suffocation or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Create a dedicated Safe Sleep Environment to keep your baby safe.

Safe Sleep Checklist

Place your baby on his/her back.
Use a crib with a firm mattress which meets Consumer
Product Safety Commission guidelines. Pillows, cushions,
sofas, and adult beds are NOT safe sleep surfaces.
Do not share the bed with your baby.
No excess bedding, comforters, or pillows.
No bumper pads, toys, or stuffed animals in the crib.
Wedges or positioners are not recommended.
Dress your baby in light clothing
Keep the bedroom temperature comfortable for a lightly
clothed adult.

Potential Sleep Environment Dangers

Overlay- A person sharing a sleep surface with an infant rolls on to the infant and unintentionally smothers the infant or compresses the infant’s chest, neck, face, or body rendering the infant unable to breathe.

Positional asphyxia – Infant’s face becomes entrapped or wedged in a small space or between two objects (mattress and the wall, mattress and the bed railings, or two sofa cushions).

Obstruction of the infant’s nose and mouth- loose bedding, heavy/bulky blankets, stuffed animals, position wedges, bumper pads, or soft sleep surfaces, such as air mattresses, waterbeds, couches, futons, and/or comforters can also result in accidental suffocation by covering an infant’s nose or mouth.

Statistics:

In Louisiana, accidental suffocation is the leading cause of all injury-related deaths of infants 1 month to 12 months of age, with 53% of injury-related deaths resulting from suffocation (2002-2007 Louisiana Vital Records).