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Safe Sleeping for Babies

Posted on July 17, 2025

Parents of newborns are often given a long list of potential hazards to avoid. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleeping dangers typically appears at the top of this list. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “in 2022, there were about 3,700 sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) in the United States.” The CDC asserts that of those 3,700 infant deaths, 1,529 are from SIDS, 1,131 are from unknown causes and 1,040 are from accidental suffocation or strangulation.
These statistics prove that the risk is real, which means parents ought to take every possible precaution to create safe sleeping habits.
Cast out unnecessary fear and stick to these expert recommended tips:
  1. Give the baby its own designated and Consumer Product Safety Commission approved sleeping area.
  2. The baby bed, bassinet, etc. should be flat, firm and free of any additional soft surfaces (including blankets, stuffed animals, crib bumpers or pillows).
  3. Always place the baby flat on its back to sleep. As a general rule, always avoid allowing your baby to sleep at an incline, where their airway might be obstructed.
  4. Try offering the baby a pacifier for sleeping. Pacifiers have been proven to reduce the risk of SIDS.
    1. Do not attach the pacifier to the baby’s clothing.
  1. If the baby falls asleep in a car seat, on a boppy pillow or on any other soft or elevated surface move them to a flat sleeping surface as soon as possible.
*It is best to follow these safe–sleeping tips for the first year of baby’s life.
Sources:
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