For many older children, teens and adults, sleeping on one’s side or on one’s stomach may feel comfortable. But for an infant, it could be deadly.
With the Erie County Health Department reporting seven sudden infant deaths in the past two months, Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein is issuing a reminder about what she calls a tragedy that can be averted.
“We know that soft bedding and co-sleeping and infants sleeping on their stomachs are common and preventable causes of sudden infant deaths. It really is the cause of about three out of four sudden infant deaths,” Burstein said.
The health commissioner referred to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ website, HealthyChildren.org, where parents could receive tips on safe practices when putting their baby to bed.
Burstein says parents should follow “ABC.” A meaning alone, B meaning on the child’s back, and C meaning in a crib, bassinet, playpen, or other firmly based setup. She spoke more about the importance of avoiding putting a baby on its stomach to sleep.
“They can't move their head, so their face will be forced into the mattress, and that will lead to suffocation,” Burstein said. “Babies need to sleep on their back.”
Burstein also emphasized that putting the baby down alone means no other people or objects.
“Alone means no teddy bears, no stuffed animals, no other kids, no pillows, no crib bumpers, no blankets,” she said. “They can be swaddled in a blanket, or they can wear some type of warm onesie. But there's no (loose) blanket. It should be like the naked crib, nothing else in there.”
She added that adults should put the baby to bed in the same room as where they will sleep, but not put the baby in their bed.
Burstein also encouraged parents to make sure babies are vaccinated on schedule.
“There's a new vaccine out, the RSV vaccine. RSV is a virus that can cause some very severe illness and lead to hospitalizations for babies because they get very ill and it’s difficult for them to breathe,” she said. “Many babies are eligible to receive this RSV vaccine, so we recommend that they get that at the newborn period, and then also with the vaccines at two, four, and six months of age include the pertussis vaccine.”