October is “Safe Sleep Month” in Michigan and LACASA Center’s Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Council and the Livingston County Health Department are working to protect infants by raising awareness about safe sleep practices.
“We want to support parents, grandparents, and infant caregivers in making sure their babies are a safe as can be,” said Holly Naylor, LACASA’s director of family prevention and education. “Sharing information about the most current safe sleep guidelines is a crucial step in making sure no more families experience loss related to preventable sleep-related injuries or death.”
“Since 2015 there have been eight sleep-related infant deaths in Livingston County,” said Rebecca Leach, director of personal and preventive health services/deputy health officer for the Livingston County Health Department, “Our goal is to reach a point where that number is zero every year.”
Leach recommends that parents and infant caregivers follow these infant safety recommendations:
• Follow the ABCs of Safe Sleep: Place your infant Alone on their Back, in a Crib, bassinet or pack n’ play every time your child goes to sleep, whether it be a nap or at night.
• Use a firm mattress with a tightly fitted sheet.
• Keep baby’s sleep space clutter free – no pillows, blankets or toys.
• Breastfeed, if you can. Breastfeeding support is available.
• Keep baby’s sleep space where you can see and hear them. Share your room, not your bed.
• Avoid covering baby’s head or overheating. Instead of a blanket, consider using a sleep sack, wearable blanket, or footed sleeper to keep baby warm.
• Remind everyone who cares for your baby, including babysitters and family members, how to keep baby safe while sleeping.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about one in five deaths due to sudden infant death syndrome occur while an infant is in the care of someone other than a parent. For that reason, parents are urged not only to engage in safe sleep practices at home, but to share that information with everyone who cares for their baby.
Safe sleep steps recommended by the Health Department can be found on the Michigan Department of Human Services website. In addition, it is important for parents to understand how dangerous other sleeping situations can be. The Department of Human Services offers these warnings:
• Babies are NOT safe sleeping on a couch, pillow or anything soft
• Babies are NOT safe sleeping with other children, adults or pets
• Babies are NOT safe sleeping in adult beds; if you feed your baby in bed, put your baby back into their crib to sleep
Livingston County residents can learn more about safe sleep by visiting local libraries to see safe sleep displays, following LACASA’s Facebook page to see safe-sleep related posts, and taking an online infant safety class, S.C.D- Sleeping Crying Driving. This class is a collaborative effort between the CAP Council and MSU Extension and covers the guideline of safe sleep, how to safely cope with infant crying, and car seat safety. Registration instructions can be found at https://www.canr.msu.edu/early_childhood_development/infant-safety/.
For more information about safe sleep for infants, contact LACASA’s CAP Council at (5170 548-1350, or the Livingston County Health Department at (517) 546-9850.
