Parents and caregivers of infants are often familiar with safety techniques and precautions while children learn to crawl, walk and play. It’s important to remember that a child’s sleep environment is also important to their safety and well-being.Sleep environments, particularly infants sleeping on their tummies or sides, have been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the leading cause of death among infants between 1 month and 1 year of age.Colorado had 26 SIDS deaths in 2010; six (23 percent) of those deaths occurred in El Paso County, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.Safe sleep education and new mandatory rules for cribs, recently approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, aim to reduce these accidental deaths.Get tips and learn from experts what a safe sleep environment looks like at El Paso County Public Health’s annual free Healthy Baby Fair on Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Imagination Space at The Citadel from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.In addition to safe sleep education, Public Health will provide information about their Cribs for Kids program, an initiative that provides safe sleep education and a portable Graco Pack ‘n Play crib for eligible families. Public Health nurses will share tips on reducing the risk of SIDS, which include the following:
- Always place babies alone in their crib on their backs to sleep. Babies who sleep on their backs are less likely to die of SIDS than babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides. Placing your baby on his or her back to sleep is the number one way to reduce the risk of SIDS.
- Use the back sleep position every time. Babies who usually sleep on their backs but who are then placed on their stomachs, such as for a nap, are at higher risk for SIDS. It is important for babies to sleep on their backs every time, for naps and at night.
- Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as a safety-approved crib mattress covered with a fitted sheet. Never place a baby to sleep on a pillow, quilt, sheepskin or other soft surface.
- Keep soft objects, toys and loose bedding out of your baby’s sleep area. Don’t use pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, sleep positioners or pillow-like bumpers in your baby’s sleep area. Keep all items away from the baby’s face.
- Avoid letting your baby overheat during sleep. Dress your baby in light sleep clothing and keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.
