Safe Sleep Environment Recommendations
- Place infant on back (supine) to sleep for every sleep.
- Place infant on firm, flat (non-inclined) surface for every sleep, such as a safety-approved crib, bassinet, portable crib or cradle with a mattress covered with a fitted sheet only.
- Sitting devices like bouncy seats, swings, carriers or strollers should not be used for routine sleep.
- Keep infant sleep space in same room as caregivers. Room sharing but not bed sharing. Always place infant in a safety-approved sleep space, not caregiver bed.
- Never use pillows, loose blankets, quilts, sheepskins, bumper pads, stuffed animals or sleep positioning devices in the infants’ sleep area.
- Avoid overheating during sleep. Dress infant in light sleep clothes, keep room temperature comfortable for an adult and no hat for sleep.
- Place crib away from windows with blinds or curtain cords and away from monitors with cords to prevent strangulation.
Additional Infant Safe Sleep Recommendations
- Feed human milk (breastfeed, pump and feed and/or human donor milk).
- Caregivers avoid exposure to nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opioids and illicit drugs.
- Do not smoke during pregnancy or allow smoking around infant.
- Follow routine well checkup and immunization schedule.
- Offer a pacifier that is not attached to a string or stuffed animal for sleep after breastfeeding is well established.
Interested in learning more? Become a Cribs for Kids ® Safe Sleep Ambassador by visiting this link to register for free, view the module and receive a certificate. https://cribsforkids.teachable.com/p/safe-sleep-ambassador/
Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; AAP Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; AAP Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics.
