Childhood Injury Prevention Handbook

Children’s of Alabama

SAFE SLEEP

You can help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other causes of injuries and deaths related to sleeping (including suffocation and falls) by applying the ABCs to the environment around your child’s sleeping space. ALONE Babies should always sleep alone in a crib or bassinette. Do not allow infants to share a bed with other children or with adults. BACK Babies should always sleep on their back—for naps and at night. This is the safest place for them, and they are less likely to choke when on their backs. They do not need to be propped up in the crib and do not need to sleep on their side (Tummy time is good for their development when they are awake and not likely to fall asleep). CRIB Babies need to sleep in their own sleeping space on a firm mattress and a well-fitting sheet with nothing else—no bumper pads, no blankets, no stuffed animals, no soft bedding, etc. A B C

*Make sure to discuss this with any caregivers taking care of your baby at your home and other sites.

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