Parental tips for safe infant sleep and car safety

By Michelle Perkins, APRN-CNP

The following are some parental tips in regards to infant health outcomes to reduce mortality rates and increase safety per recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed and other deaths from unknown causes.

The CDC supports the 2022 recommendations issued by the AAP. Take the following actions to help reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths.

• Place your baby on his or her back for all sleep time/naps and at night.
• Use a firm, flat (not at an angle or inclined) sleep surface. For example, a mattress in a safety-approved crib, covered by a fitted sheet.
• Keep your baby’s sleep area (for example, a crib or bassinet) in the same room where you sleep, ideally until your baby is at least six months old.
• Keep soft bedding out of your baby’s sleep area. This includes blankets, pillows, bumper pads and soft toys.
• Do not cover your baby’s head or allow your baby to get too hot. Signs your baby may be getting too hot include sweating or his or her chest feeling hot.

Parenting recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS per the recommendations of the CDC include:

• Do not smoke or use nicotine during pregnancy, and do not smoke or allow smoking around your baby.  
• Do not drink alcohol or use illegal drugs during pregnancy.
• Offer your baby a pacifier at naptime and bedtime. If you are breastfeeding your baby, you may want to wait to use a pacifier until breastfeeding is well-established.

Infant car seat safety

• Car crashes are the number one killer of children ages one to 12 years in the United States. Proper use of car seats helps keep children safe. The type of seat your child needs depends on several things, including your child’s size and the type of vehicle. 
• AAP provides a listing  of car seats and safety seat manufacturers at https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Product-Listing.aspx