According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there are about 3,500 sleep-related deaths among US infants each year. That includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), ill-defined deaths, and accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed.
Because sleep-related infant death is the leading cause of infant mortality from one month to one year of age, it is important to know how to create the safest sleeping environment for your little ones.
The AAP recommends a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of all sleep-related deaths. You can help babies sleep safely by:
Additional AAP recommendations for SIDS risk reduction include breastfeeding; avoiding exposure to nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opioids, and illicit drugs; routine immunizations; and using a pacifier. For a summary of AAP's full safe sleep guidance, click here.
May they all sleep safe and sound.
To support safe sleep for all babies in our community, the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center participates in the Safe Cribs for Missouri program. It provides portable cribs and safe sleep education to low-income families who have no other resources for obtaining a crib.
The program is administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and is available at the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center. Its goal and our wish is to support families and reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths.
The Safe Cribs program is a valuable resource for those who meet the following criteria:
To enroll, please contact us.
Source: CDC, AAP, DESE
Updated: 10/9/24