October marks Safe Sleep Awareness Month: Learn the ABCs of infant safety

Chesley Richardson
·2 min read

October is Safe Sleep Awareness Month, a month devoted to bringing awareness to safe sleeping practices for infants and babies. For many of us, going to bed is a time to relax and unwind at the end of the day. It is common for new parents to struggle with a sleep routine for their children, so make sure your babies are safe and relaxed at bedtime.

Hands of a newborn baby on mother's fingers.
Hands of a newborn baby on mother's fingers.

The ABCs of safe sleep is a simple acronym that stands for: Alone, on their Back, and in their own Crib. It was created to help parents remember the most important practices for ensuring a safe sleeping environment for their child.

It can be easy to follow the same routine you have seen your family members use to put babies to bed. While your mother, father, aunt, cousin, or other relative may have treated bedtime differently, we now know more about how to keep sleeping babies safe. We are trying to stop the spread of misinformation about infant sleep methods.

Several myths exist surrounding safe sleep practices with infants, including the safety of co-sleeping and which baby sleep products are OK to use. Co-sleeping and products like crib bumpers and inclined sleepers are very dangerous and can cause suffocation for infants. These practices and products should never be used.

There are many new laws that have been put in place to save babies’ lives. Last year, the “Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021” was signed into law, which prohibits the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers and inclined sleepers for infants. Some products included in this law are padded crib bumpers, supported or unsupported vinyl bumper guards, vertical crib slat covers, and inclined sleepers marketed or intended for infants.

The safest way for infants to sleep is in a crib that is free of blankets, pillows, loose sheets, and toys. Their crib should be in the same room as the parents for at least the first year of their life. Their crib mattress should be firm and flat. Remember that it is not safe to smoke in the room that the baby sleeps in.

Suffocation and strangulation in an adult bed is the leading cause of injury-related death for Florida infants under the age of 1. The only way to protect your baby from the risk of suffocation or strangulation while sleeping is to follow the ABCs of safe sleep. Parents should use this technique every time their baby sleeps and inform anyone who cares for the child of this practice.

At Prevent Child Abuse Florida, one of our primary campaigns is safe sleep, and we strive to provide families with information and resources so babies can be safe and healthy during sleep time. If you would like to request free safe sleep brochures or other resources, visit PreventChildAbuseFL.org.

Each time you put your baby to sleep, remember your ABCs.

Chesley Richardson
Chesley Richardson

Chesley Richardson is the executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Florida. She can be reached at crichardson@ounce.org.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Breaking the myths for infant sleep: What every parent needs to know