South Carolina ranks 45th out of all 50 states when it comes to infant mortality. One way to improve this statistic is to reduce the number of sleep-related infant deaths by providing a safe sleeping environment.

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.”

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 deathsoccur 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.

For more information on the ABC’s of Safe Sleep, please visit www.McLeodWomen.org.

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