Safety tips for sleeping babies
by Amy Scholten, MPH

Babies spend a lot of time sleeping. Follow the tips outlined below to prevent sleep hazards that can lead to suffocation and death.

Infant sleep hazards
All parents and caregivers should be aware of the possible hazards associated with sleeping.

For infants less than two years of age:

Suffocation, which is associated with:

Sleeping in the same bed as an adult
Getting trapped between the mattress and another object
Airway obstruction when the baby is face down on a waterbed mattress
Strangulation in rails or openings on beds, allowing the baby’s body to pass through while trapping the head
Unsafe bedding

For infants less than one year of age:

Sleep hazards for young infants include all of the above as well as the following:

Sleeping on the stomach, a position that has been associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Soft bedding, such as pillows, quilts, comforters, and sheepskins

Making your baby’s bed safe
A few easy steps can help ensure safe slumber.

Baby should be in a safe position on safe bedding.

When putting a baby less than one year of age to sleep, make sure that you:

Place the baby on his or her back.
Place the baby on a firm, tight-fitting mattress in a crib that meets current safety standards.
Consider using a sleeper or other sleep clothing as an alternative to blankets, with no other covering.
If using a blanket, tuck a thin blanket around the baby’s mattress, reaching only as far as the baby’s chest.
Make sure the baby’s head remains uncovered during sleep.

Avoid sleep surfaces that are too soft.

Do not place the baby to sleep on a:

Waterbed
Sofa
Soft mattress
Pillow
Any other soft surface

Make sure the crib is safe.

The baby’s crib should have:

No missing or broken hardware, and slats no more than 2 3/8″ apart
No corner posts over 1/16″ high
No cutout designs in the headboard or footboard
A firm, tight-fitting mattress
A safety certification seal (on new cribs)

Remove soft bedding.

Remove the following items from the baby’s crib:

Pillows
Quilts
Comforters
Sheepskins
Stuffed toys
Any other soft products

Keep babies out of adult beds.
You can avoid certain hazards by keeping the baby in a separate sleeping space:

Do not allow any baby less than two years of age to sleep in the same bed with you or any adult.
Return baby to the crib after breastfeeding in bed.
Make sure that babies less two years of age sleep in a crib.

RESOURCES:

US Consumer Product Safety Commission

http://www.cpsc.gov