Livingston County EMS received its Infant Safe Sleep Certification, becoming the fourth department in the state, and the first sole EMS agency in Michigan to do so.
The Infant Safe Sleep program is a statewide effort for fire and EMS departments, developed to bring awareness to the preventable and tragic deaths of babies in unsafe sleeping environments. Through training, departments go on to establish their own safe sleep outreach efforts to serve their communities.
“After I learned that Michigan loses about 150 infants a year, equivalent to three school buses or five kindergarten classes of children, a year to sleep related deaths, I wanted to be a part of this program to help fix the problem,” said Ryan Dennett, EMS education supervisor.
The program was launched in July 2022, and Dennett took it upon himself to reach out to Dr. Sam Mishra, Michigan’s EMS children’s coordinator, to start the process of accreditation for himself and eventually the EMS department. After training all staff, creating a plan to provide continuing education, and partnering with LACASA to provide pack n’ plays and safe sleep resources, EMS had completed all of the necessary steps. On Sept. 8, Dr. Mishra personally presented the department with its certificate.
Providing a safe sleeping environment for your baby is critical. Follow these Safe Sleep Steps to keep your baby safe:
- Place baby alone on their back, in a crib, bassinet, or pack n’ play for every sleep time – nap time and night time.
- 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.
- 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.
Learn more about the Safe Sleep Steps and why they are recommended to keep your baby safe at https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/safety-injury-prev/safe-sleep2.
If your agency would like to participate in the Infant Safe Sleep program, please reach out to Ryan Dennett at 517-540-8624 or rdennett@livgov.com or Dr. Mishra at mishras@michigan.gov.
(Photo, L-R, Dr. Mishra, Angelia Ragan, and Ryan Dennett.)
