Attorney General Steve Six and the Kansas State Child Death Review Board Provide Tips on a Safe Sleep Environment for Infants
December 19, 2008 -- The birth of a child is an amazing and joyous experience. A parent's highest priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of their new baby. Unfortunately, improper sleeping arrangements can turn this time of joy into tragedy.
Attorney General Steve Six and the Child Death Review Board encourage parents to be careful about where their children sleep when traveling this holiday season.
It is important to maintain consistent sleep patterns. Many Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) deaths in child care have been associated with the child being placed prone (on their stomach) to sleep, especially when the baby is used to sleeping on his/her back at home.
In addition, infants placed in adult beds, on couches, or other areas that are not safe for sleeping babies face the danger of unintentional suffocation by pillows or bedding. Entrapment between the mattress and wall or bed frame could also occur. Caregivers and family members who provide only periodic care for infants may not be aware of the importance of placing a baby in proper sleeping environments and on his/her back.
Below are some safe sleep tips for parents and caregivers:
- Child care homes and centers must be licensed or registered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Ask to see the license or certificate - it will tell you the type of license held and the maximum number of children that may be enrolled.
- Check the licensing status and compliance history of a regulated child care home or center in Kansas by calling the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 785-296-1270 and requesting a provider check.
- Child care providers should develop a safe sleep policy and discuss it with parents when enrolling infants.
- Child care providers and parents should communicate frequently to assure that they understand safe sleep practices and that these practices are followed at home and at the child care location.
- Babies must always be placed on their backs (supine) to sleep during every sleep period, including naps. Sleep position should be consistent each time and at every location. Babies who usually sleep on their backs and then are placed to sleep on their stomachs are at an increased risk of sudden death.
- Do not allow infants to co-sleep with anyone.
- Place baby on a firm, tight-fitting mattress, covered by a fitted sheet, in a crib that meets current safety standards. Never allow a gap larger than two fingers at any point between the sides of the crib and the mattress. The same guidelines apply to portable cribs and bassinets.
- Do not use old, broken or modified cribs; regularly tighten hardware to keep the sides firm.
- Use sleep clothing, such as a one-piece sleeper, instead of a blanket or heavy quilt. The safest sleepwear is a comfortable fitting garment made of fabric labeled as flame resistant.
- Do not let baby overheat. Babies are comfortable with the same layers of clothing and bedding as the adults in the same environment.
- Remove all blankets, pillows, quilts, comforters, stuffed animals, toys, bumper pads and other baby products out of the baby's sleep area.
- Do not use sleep-positioning devices, and verify that your child care provider is not positioning the baby in any manner that you have not approved.
- Do not allow smoking in your home, car, or around your baby.
By taking these simple steps parents can reduce the likelihood that their child will become a victim of SIDS or unintentional suffocation.
For more information on SIDS, call the SIDS Network of Kansas at
1-866-399-7437, or visit them online at http://www.sidsks.org/ .
The SCDRB is a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency board that examines the circumstances surrounding the deaths of all Kansas children (birth through 17 years-of-age) and children who are not Kansas residents, but who die in the state. The goals of the SCDRB are to describe the trends and patterns of child deaths in Kansas, to develop prevention strategies, and to improve sources of data and communication among agencies. The Board works toward lowering child deaths in Kansas through research, education, and legislation.
For additional information, visit the SCDRB website at http://www.ksag.org/content/page/id/49 ,or contact Angela Nordhus, Executive Director, at (785) 296-7970.