ABCDs for Safe Sleep

Every parent (and grandparents) wants to make sure their infants sleep soundly and safely. Here’s how to best protect your baby.

Contributed by Allyson Rizk, MSN, RNC-MNN, CNML | Nurse Manager Postpartum

First, the good news: Cuyahoga County’s infant mortality rates have declined. But there’s bad news too: unsafe sleep deaths have increased. We lose about 20 babies every year because of sleep-related causes Additionally, Black, non-Hispanic babies have a higher rate of sleep-related deaths than white babies.

The disparity is likely related to access to care and family support, says Allyson Rizk, postpartum nurse manager at MetroHealth. Sleep-related deaths are not the same as SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, which is when a baby dies from unexplained reasons, she says. “Sleep-related deaths are preventable. Everyone must get that message and know how to keep babies safe.”

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to remember sleep-safe basics. Be sure to share this information with all of the baby’s caregivers, especially members of an older generation who may not be up to date:

The A, B, C, Ds of Safe Sleep

A stands for ALONE.

This means nothing else in the sleep space (no toys or stuffed animals). It also means no other people. Your baby shouldn’t sleep with you, with siblings, or with pets.

B stands for BACK.

Always place your baby to sleep on their back. It may seem like they’re more likely to choke on their back, but the opposite is true. The choking risk is higher on their stomach. Grandparents often say that babies sleep better on their stomachs. In reality, they breathe easier and better on their backs.

C stands for CRIB.

Put your baby to sleep in a crib (or bassinet) with just a fitted sheet. This means no blankets, pillows, bumper pads, or sleep wedges. A sleep or swaddle sack is okay, as long as it is secure and not near the mouth or nose.

D stands for DON’T SMOKE.

Never smoke around a baby, whether they are awake or asleep. We know that secondhand smoke is unsafe for babies. It increases the risk of sleep-related deaths.

Spread the safe-sleep message to caregivers

When it comes to babies and sleeping, it can be especially hard to push back against grandparents.

They might say to you, “You slept in my bed as a baby and you turned out fine.”

Or . . . “I always put my babies to sleep on their stomachs and never had a problem.”

The best answer is that we know better now. We have the data. We have to work together to keep babies safe and happily arriving at their first birthday.