Pioneer Press Highlights the ABC's of Safe Sleep and Prevention of SIDS
Many of you may or may not be aware that it is Infant Safe Sleep Week, an initiative to practice safe sleep habits for babies. It's a perfect time to highlight a great article by the Pioneer Press discussing how closely the prevalence of SIDS is linked to unsafe sleep conditions.
The article says, "According to data released Wednesday from the Minnesota Department of Health, unsafe sleeping environments contribute to almost all sudden infant deaths. According to a page on Mayo Clinic’s website, SIDS is commonly thought to have no explanation, but data from 2015 found that 53 of the 54 sudden infant deaths in Minnesota involved unsafe sleeping conditions."
This is extremely unsettling to hear as a mother and a newborn sleep consultant. It is important that new parents are taught where and how baby should sleep in order to ensure their safety.
The article states, "MDH [Minnesota Department of Health] is promoting the “ABCs” of infant safe sleep to educate parents. This stands for Alone, Back and Crib. Babies should always sleep alone, be put on their backs to sleep, and sleep in their own safety-approved crib."
The great news is that the recommendations for safe sleep are also the best practices for sleep training. We emphasize that babies always sleep in their own crib, without potentially dangerous distractions like stuffed animals, blankets, and pillows, properly swaddled, and on their back. Hopefully we can continue to educate parents so that we can keep many more babies safe!
If you would like to check out the rest of the article, follow this link:
