Faith Regional Health Services | living WELL | Spring 2018

IT’S 3 A.M. and you hear your little one crying. Maybe she’s hungry, maybe she needs to be changed, maybe both. It can be very tempting to bring her back to bed with you, either for a feeding or a little extra snug- gling where you both fall back to sleep. However, one of the best ways to keep your baby safe is to always put your baby to sleep on her back, on a firm sleep surface at night and for naps, until her first birthday. This simple safeguard can help protect your baby from sudden in- fant death syndrome (SIDS). Since awareness campaigns that stressed back sleeping for babies started in 1994, the SIDS rate in the United States as dropped by 50 percent. Always do this to help keep your baby safe Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; National Institutes of Health; Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Every sleep time counts. Babies should sleep on their backs during all sleep times—naps and at night. Babies sleep safest on their backs. Babies who sleep on their backs are much less likely to die of SIDS than babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides. It’s important to be consistent—and to tell anyone who cares for your baby to be consistent too. Babies who are used to sleeping on their backs but are sometimes put to sleep on their stomachs face a very high risk of SIDS. It’s OK if your baby rolls over from back to stomach on their own. Starting sleep on the back is the most important way to reduce the risk of SIDS. Sleep surface matters. Babies who sleep on a soft surface, such as an adult bed, or under a soft covering, such as a soft blanket or quilt, are more likely to die of SIDS or suffocation. Firm sleep surfaces can include safety-approved cribs, bassinets, and portable play areas. Do not use a car seat, swing, or similar product as baby’s everyday sleep area. 10 FAITH REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES