As an adult you may not have problems sleeping safely, but babies need our help when it comes to safe sleep and sweet dreams!  Many of our nation’s hospitals will attest to the need to create safe sleep spaces for babies. Unintentional injury is still a leading cause of infant death.  So there are things parents and caregivers can do to assure babies sleep safely. A recent public service advertisement by Dayton Public Health, Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, caught our eye. We thank them for posting their PDF, and we synopsize it below:

• Baby should sleep on his or her back, alone, in a crib. Baby’s caregiver should be nearby, but not in the same bed.
• Baby’s room should be between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, not too warm, not too cold.
• Baby will sleep best in a one-piece sleeper or sleep “sack”. No blanket required.
• Baby’s room should be smoke free (absolutely!).
• It is not safe for baby to sleep in an adult bed, on a couch or futon, in a chair or beanbag chair, or on a waterbed.
• A safe crib should have a firm mattress and fit the crib with no gaps.
• There should be no missing slats in the crib and the slats should not be more than 2 ⅜” apart.
• There should be no corner posts or cut-outs in the headboard or footboard of the crib.
• There should be no pillows, bumper pads, stuffed toys, quilts, blankets, or lamb skins in the crib with the baby.

You may think that these tips go “without saying”, but statistics unfortunately show these recommendations need to be out front so young parents and caregivers–and their infants– can benefit from them.

We, at BeChildSafe.org, hope your Thanksgiving was a happy, blessed and bountiful one! Be sure to check in to our website through the run-up to the holidays as we will post any important recalls.