Atrium Health’s Commitment to Infant Safe Sleep
Quality sleep is vital for your baby’s daily routine. Not only do healthy sleep habits help give parents a much-needed break, but they also support a baby’s rapid mental and physical development. Atrium Health is committed to helping your baby rest safely by promoting and practicing proved infant safe sleep guidelines
Each year in the United States, almost 3,500 infants die unexpectedly while sleeping. Many of these deaths are linked to unsafe sleep environments. Our goal is to work together with families, so every infant has a safe sleep space. To protect your child, Atrium Health follows the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Safe Sleep North Carolina.
Atrium Health's Commitments to Safe Sleep
- Atrium Health has developed an Infant Safe Sleep Policy based on guidelines from the AAP to help keep our littlest patients safe when they are under our care.
- All of our nursing staff caring for patients less than 1 year old receive specific training on infant safe sleep to model safe sleep practices and educate family and caregivers on the importance of safe sleep practices.
Tips for a Safe Sleep Environment
Babies should sleep on their backs for all sleep times – naps and overnight. Babies who sleep on their backs are much less likely to have sleep-related deaths compared to babies who sleep on their side or their tummy. Some parents worry that babies will choke when on their backs especially if they spit up or have reflux, but the baby’s airway anatomy and the gag reflex will keep that from happening.
Use a crib or bassinet that meets the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). A tight-fitting, firm mattress and fitted sheet designed for that crib or bassinet should be used. Nothing else should be in the crib except for the baby. No loose blankets, bumper pads, pillows or positioners, stuffed animals or anything else that can be a suffocation or strangulation risk. If your baby falls asleep in a swing, bouncer, car seat, stroller, or any other place not meant for sleep, they should be moved to their bassinet or crib as soon as possible.
Keep baby’s safe sleep area in the same room where you sleep for the first 6 months or, ideally, for the first year. The AAP recommends room sharing because it can decrease the risk of sleep-related infant deaths by as much as 50% and is much safer than bed sharing. Do not let the baby fall asleep in your bed.
Dress baby in onesie pajamas and use a sleep sack if the room is cold. These are designed to keep baby warm without the need for blankets. Do not over bundle your baby. Watch for signs of overheating, such as sweating or the baby’s chest feeling hot to the touch. Do not put a hoodie or hat on your baby when they are sleeping. Take off bows and headbands that can be a strangulation risk. Weighted blankets and weighted sleepers are not safe.
Make sure your baby is always on their back when swaddled. The swaddle should not be too tight or make it hard for the baby to breathe or move their hips. When your baby looks like they’re trying to roll over, you should stop swaddling because if a swaddled baby rolls onto their tummy they can suffocate. We can practice swaddling with you before you leave the hospital.
Creating a safe sleep environment for your baby is not only important for their well-being – it could save their life. Avoid placing loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, or crib bumpers in their sleep space, as these items can increase the risk of suffocation, entrapment, and SIDS. Even mesh or breathable bumpers are not recommended by the AAP. Instead of blankets, the AAP recommends using sleep sacks or wearable blankets to keep your baby warm.