Expert on keeping sleeping babies safer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 3,500 sleep-related deaths among babies in the United States each year. The leading cause of death for infants 1 month to 1 year is Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUIDs). This includes sleep-related deaths and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Over the last four years in Suffolk County, NY, up to 50% of infant deaths below the age of 2 were associated with an unsafe sleep environment. In the United States, sudden infant death rates were up nearly 12% between 2020 and 2022, according to the most recent data in a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Along with these increases, accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, a type of infant death within SUID, has increased since 1995, according to the CDC.

Susan Katz, RN, DNP, PNP, Infant Apnea Program Coordinator and Nurse Practitioner in the newborn nursery at Stony Brook Medicine encourages “everyone who cares for a baby to be aware of and to use safe sleep practices including the ABCs of Sleep. Babies should sleep Alone, on their Back, and in a Crib.”

Katz adds, “These infant deaths are devastating to families, but we believe that most are preventable.”

She shares these other important tips:

• Remove pillows, blankets, stuffed toys, bumper pads and other things that can cover your baby’s nose or mouth. With items like these in a crib, babies can suffocate, strangle and get trapped. What’s more, as babies get older, they can use items in the crib to climb out, which could lead to a fall and a potential head injury.

• Share the room, not the bed. Your baby should not sleep with adults, children or pets. While it’s great to want to stay close with your baby as much as possible, sleeping in the same bed is never a good idea. There have been many cases of parents rolling over onto their babies while they were sleeping, which has led to death by suffocation. What’s more, if you have more than one baby—twins, triplets or even an older child, each infant must have its own crib and safe sleep environment. Let your baby sleep in his or her crib in the same room with you—but not in your bed or on a couch with you.

• Dress your baby in light sleep clothing such as a one-piece sleeper or try a sleep sack. Don’t use blankets. When babies are very young they should sleep in snug, non-flammable clothing labeled as sleep wear. Make sure your baby’s head and face stays uncovered while he or she is sleeping. If you wrap or swaddle your baby in a thin receiving blanket, be sure to keep it at the level of the armpits or lower.

• Never allow your baby to go to sleep with a bottle. Food should never be associated with sleep. And going to bed with a bottle has the potential to erode tooth enamel. Return your baby to the crib or bassinet after breast or bottle feeding. Consider breastfeeding your baby which may reduce the risk of SIDS.

• Try using a pacifier for sleep at naptime or bedtime but don’t force the baby to take it. However, it’s recommended that you wait to start using a pacifier until your baby is an established breast feeder.

• Create a healthy living environment for the baby and family. Make sure no one smokes in your home or around your baby. Don’t allow anyone who is drinking alcohol or is drowsy from medication to care for your baby. Don’t rely solely on home baby monitors.

• Never leave a baby sleeping in a car seat alone in a vehicle while you run an errand. Young children are particularly vulnerable, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s. Car seat heatstroke can happen in a matter of minutes. Even on a mild 70-degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise 19 degrees in 10 minutes, getting hotter with each passing minute, even with windows cracked open. Remember, look before you lock. Babies tend to fall asleep while riding in the car and can be quiet. Make sure you leave something in the back seat with the baby that you never leave your car without, such as your cell phone to be sure your child is not accidentally forgotten in the back seat.

Provided by
Stony Brook Medicine