Listen Up - First Steps for Helping Babies WNCU 90.7 FM North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
"Infant Sleep Safety"
3:04
Message Content:

Narrator: Every parent wants what is best for their new baby. Keeping baby safe and healthy is your number one priority. It's never too early to plan ahead for your baby's sleep safety and to take steps to reduce the risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Chris O'Meara, the Coordinator for our statewide North Carolina Back to Sleep Campaign with the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation explains.

Chris O’Meara: Placing healthy babies on their backs for sleep at night and for naps is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of SIDS. But there are other safety tips that parents, grandparents and other caregivers should know BEFORE the new baby arrives... 

• First, create a safe sleep place
• Make sure your baby's crib, bassinet or playpen meets safety standards
• The crib mattress needs to be firm and be a tight fit in the crib frame
• Keep the baby'’s sleep place simple: There's no need for bumper pads, pillows and fluffy blankets. Instead, use colorful tight-fitting sheets and a light-weight blanket or a sleep sack that the baby wears
• The safest place for baby to sleep is in his or her own crib, bassinet or playpen
• It can be dangerous for babies to sleep in bed with mom and dad. Some of the hazards of bed-sharing include overheating (a SIDS risk), suffocation, the parent rolling over onto the baby, or the baby falling off the parent's bed.
• A safe sleep place for baby is one with NO tobacco smoke. So take steps now to quit smoking and make sure no one smokes in your house and car long before your newborn baby arrives.

AFTER your baby is born:

• Make sure you put your healthy baby to sleep on his back at night and for naps. Tell others who care for your baby that the back sleep position helps protect against SIDS.
• Don’t cover the crib or the baby's face with blankets
• Keep your baby from getting too hot or overheating.  The room temperature safe zone is between 68°F and 75°F.  Putting a thermometer in your baby’s room can help you keep track of the room temperature.

Narrator: Learning valuable safe sleep lessons are important for your baby when at home and away.

New Mom: Did you know that licensed childcare providers across the state are following infant sleep safety rules and are putting babies to sleep on their back?  Since I'll be going back to work my baby's transition to taking naps at childcare will be easier since he already sleeps on his back. 

Narrator: To learn more about reducing the risks of SIDS call 1-800-F-O-R-B-A-B-Y.