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Give Your Baby a Safe Night’s Sleep

Give Your Baby a Safe Night’s Sleep

By Michelle Timogan Moses, Safe Sleep Program Coordinator

Keeping your baby safe, happy, and healthy is your main focus as a new parent. Even while infants are sleeping, there are important precautions you need to take to keep your precious one out of harm’s way.

Safe sleep can help protect your baby from dangers such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), choking, and suffocation. SIDS is the leading cause of death in children between 1 month and 1 year of age, and infants under 6 months are at the highest risk.

Follow these recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to create a safe sleep environment for your baby:

  • Put infants on their back to sleep
  • Use a firm sleep surface, and keep soft objects and loose bedding out of the crib
  • Use a crib in the parents’ bedroom, but avoid bedsharing during sleep
  • Avoid sleeping on a couch or armchair with an infant
  • Avoid overheating
  • Avoid commercial devices marketed to reduce the risk of SIDS
  • Do not use home monitors as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS
  • Do not smoke during pregnancy and avoid exposing infants to second-hand tobacco smoke

Safe Sleep Classes at Mary’s Center

Mary’s Center’s WIC program offers free Safe Sleep classes in English, Spanish, and Amharic on the third Wednesday of every month, in partnership with DC Health. These classes provide pregnant mothers and other caregivers with cutting-edge practices to keep their infant safe while sleeping. All participants receive a safety-approved portable Cribette at no cost.

To join the class, you must live in Washington, DC and be pregnant with a delivery date within 30 days of the class, or have an infant up to 12 months of age. WIC program participation is not a requirement.

“I am so grateful for the experience and I shared the safe sleep information with my husband and family members.”

– First-time mom who participated in the class

All eligible mothers are welcome to invite their partner and/or family members who will help in the care of the infant. To join one of our Safe Sleep classes, please call 202-232-6679.