Infant Safe Sleep Resources - Child Advocacy Center of Niagara

October is Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month! We are trying to reach as many parents and caregivers as possible with the Safe Sleep message, because practicing Infant Safe Sleep saves lives. We have included some great resources below on all kinds of topics to help caregivers in their Safe Sleep journey. We hope you will share this knowledge with friends, family members, babysitters, grandparents and colleagues.

Ten Tips for Infant Safe Sleep

Always put baby on their back to sleep.
Drugs and alcohol increase risk of unsafe sleep deaths. Don’t fall asleep with baby if you have either in your system.
Be aware of exhaustion! Don’t fall asleep with baby in your arms, in a chair, or in bed.
Sleeping in a swing or car carrier? Always move baby to a crib.
No blankets, stuffed animals or toys!
Babies overheat easily. No head coverings while they are sleeping.
Always use a fitted crib sheet.
Move crib or pack-n-play to your room so baby can be with you but not in bed with you.
When feeding baby, set a reminder/alarm on your phone for every few minutes to keep you from falling asleep.
Make sure everyone caring for your baby (grandparents, babysitters, older siblings) knows about safe sleep.

Have you heard of the BABI Lab? The Biometrics of Safe Sleep

BABI Lab are conducting research to understand how babies achieve a roll. This research will look at the coordinated movements and muscle activity that babies use to roll over. The results of this study can be used to understand delays in motor development and in safety of commercial infant gear. The BABI lab previously researched inclined sleeping products. Their research team designed an in vivo study to understand how the design of the inclined sleep products impacts a baby’s ability to move and use their muscles. BABI Lab found that none of the products they examined were safe for infant sleep. Their research contributed to the ongoing conversation regarding the safety of infant gear. The American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) does NOT recommend inclined sleeping for infants!

https://medicine.uams.edu/blog/uams-research-into-baby-biomechanics-shows-issues-with-infant-inclined-sleepers/

For more information on BABI Lab: Home – Boise Applied Biomechanics of Infants (BABI) Lab

Smoking and Pregnancy

NY State Department of Health has a campaign to help mothers stop smoking: If you’re pregnant and you smoke, your baby shares every cigarette you smoke.

Smoking during pregnancy causes many health problems for both you, and your unborn baby, including higher risk of birth defects and even death. Quitting smoking will help you and your baby be healthy. Quit today and your baby will get more oxygen, even after just one day. Your baby will grow better and be less likely to be born too early.

You can also get more help with your smoking addiction by calling the New York State Smokers’ Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) or visiting www.nysmokefree.com.

It’s a free and confidential service to help you become smoke-free. https://www.health.ny.gov/community/pregnancy/smoking_cessation_campaign/

When Baby is Sick

We know that having a sick little one can be a challenging time for the family. Sick babies tend to have a harder time sleeping and staying asleep. They get fussy and cry more and often want to be held around the clock. Here are a few tips that may help baby when they are feeling sick so baby can feel better, and caregivers can still practice safe sleep.

Try a cool mist humidifier in baby’s room
Try saline nose spray or drops to help clear some congestion
Continue to have baby lie flat on their back while they sleep – it is not recommended that you elevate their head or their bed
If you hold baby at night, make sure you are not falling asleep on a couch, armchair or somewhere unsafe.
It’s important to still follow safe sleep practiced even when babies are not feeling well.

The AAP has a great video series on provider and patient conversations when it comes to infant safe sleep practices, including when baby is sick.

https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/safe-sleep/provider-and-patient-conversations-for-safe-sleep/?