Safe sleep for babies

Teach: Safe sleep for babies

What to say

Safe sleep for babies follows three words, alone, on the back, in a crib, for every nap and every night, whoever is putting the baby down. Every sleep, lay the baby on their back on a firm, flat mattress with only a fitted sheet, with no pillows, blankets, bumpers or toys. Share your room but not your bed, keep it smoke-free and not too warm, and never sleep with a baby on a sofa.

What to show, in order

1. Put the baby down on their back for every nap and every night.
2. Use a crib, bassinet or play yard that meets current safety standards, with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet only.
3. Keep pillows, blankets, bumpers, stuffed toys and positioners out of the sleep space.
4. Dress the baby in a sleep sack or light layers instead of loose blankets, and keep the room comfortably cool.
5. Keep the crib in your room but not in your bed, ideally for at least the first six months.
6. If you feel sleepy while feeding, put the baby back in the crib first. If you might fall asleep anyway, an adult bed with pillows and blankets moved away from the baby is less dangerous than a sofa or armchair; put the baby back in the crib the moment you wake.
7. Keep the home smoke-free, and make sure everyone who watches the baby follows the same rules.

When to stop and call a professional

• Any question about your own baby's health, feeding or sleep: call your pediatrician's office or its after-hours line, which is there for exactly this.
• The baby is not breathing or is limp or blue: call 911 and follow the dispatcher; an infant CPR class teaches what to do.
• Take a certified infant CPR and first aid class before the baby arrives if you can.

The check question

Ask: What position should a baby sleep in? Answer: On the back

From EveryManKnows. General information, not professional advice.