Last updated on September 6th, 2023 at 07:33 pm
September is #BabySafetyMonth, sponsored annually by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). This month-long event increases consumer awareness of baby safety issues and the safe selection and use of baby products. For 40 years, the JPMA has led the way in life-saving safety information for parents and caregivers. As parents, nothing is more important to us than the safety of our babies.
Safe Sleep Tips
In observance of #BabySafetyMonth here are some recommendations to provide infants with a safe sleep environment and to help you and your baby rest easier at night:
- Always place your baby flat on their back for sleep. Do not place your baby on their stomach or side for sleeping. Babies sleeping on their sides are more likely to accidentally roll onto their stomachs, causing a risk of suffocation. Back is best when it comes to infant sleep.
- Consider pacifier usage when placing your baby down for sleep. Pacifier use is shown to reduce the risk of SIDS. Follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for pacifier safety:
- Do not use a bottle nipple as a pacifier.
- Purchase pacifiers that are made from one molded piece of plastic.
- Do not attach a pacifier to your baby’s clothing when they’re sleeping.
- Pacifiers deteriorate, inspect them often for signs of damage or weakness.
- Pay extra attention to your child’s pacifier as teeth emerge.
- Replace pacifiers frequently – every 1 to 2 months.
- Follow the recommended age for the particular pacifier your baby is using.
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- Avoid letting your baby get too hot:
- Sweating, a hot chest, or flushed skin are signs of overheating
- Don’t put a hat on your baby while indoors once you’re home from the hospital
- Make sure your baby is sleeping safely in a crib that meets the latest U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards:
- Use a crib manufactured after June 2011 ( When banning the manufacture or sale of drop-side rail cribs became effective).
- Slats should be 6 cm apart or less.
- No decorative cut-outs in the headboard or footboard.
- Never substitute original parts with something from a hardware store. Always order replacement parts from the manufacturer.
- Inspect the crib for damage to hardware, loose joints, missing parts, or sharp edges WEEKLY.
- Mattresses should be the same size as the crib so there are no gaps.
- Place your baby on a firm mattress, covered by a fitted sheet that meets current safety standards.
- Remove all soft objects from the crib, including bumper pads, blankets, pillows, & stuffed toys.
Although there’s no guaranteed way to prevent SIDS, research tells us that a safe sleep environment can help reduce the risk. A safe sleep environment lowers the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths. Follow these #BabySafetyMonth sleep safety tips to help your baby sleep safely so you can sleep soundly!
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