South Carolina ranks 45th out of all 50 states when it comes to infant mortality. That’s a sad statistic, especially when something as easy as “ABC” could reduce the number of sleep-related infant deaths.

The ABCs of Safe Sleep are simple:

Alone – Make sure the baby sleeps alone. No toys, stuffed animals, blankets or pillows. And not with you.

Back – Babies should always be put to sleep on their back. Not on their side or their stomach.

Crib – Infants should sleep in a crib by themselves but near you in your room. Babies shouldn’t sleep on a couch, in your bed or in their car seat.

“These are simple yet very important facts to help keep your baby safe,” says McLeod Neonatologist Douglas Moeckel, MD.  “Your family physician or pediatrician can make sure your baby gets important immunizations or treatment for the many childhood diseases, but only you can ensure that your infant has a safe environment for every sleep time.”

For a more detailed list of Do’s and Don’ts for Safe Sleep, you can download a list to post on your refrigerator or in the baby’s room.

Don’t allow this valuable knowledge to stop with you.

PASS IT ON

It’s important to spread the word about Safe Sleep because:

• Others—family members, grandparents, babysitters and day care employees—need to know how to keep a baby safe while sleeping.
• One in five infant deaths occur when the infant is being cared for by someone other than a parent.
• An infant, who usually sleeps on his or her back but is mistakenly placed on their stomach to sleep by a caregiver, is 18 times more likely to suffer a sleep-related death.

Make sure your relatives and babysitters have read copies of the “ABC’s” and “Dos and Don’ts” of Safe Sleep.

If you have childcare at your home or a grandparent’s home during the day, have the caregiver read one of these documents:

• Safe Sleep for Your Grandbaby. For the Spanish version, click here.
• Tips for Caregivers.

Feel free to make copies of the documents and articles mentioned here and give them to family members, your church and or child care center. The one extra copy you hand out may save a child’s life.

Sources include: McLeod Health, Children’s Trust of South Carolina, Cribs for Kids, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institutes of Health