October is Infant Safe Sleep Month

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., issued a proclamation declaring October Infant Safe Sleep Month to coincide with the national observance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month. The observance is marked to increase the public’s awareness of the high rates of these preventable infant deaths.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health Maternal and Child Health Branch leads Safe Sleep Hawaiʻi, a statewide coalition that works to prevent infant sleep-related deaths by promoting safe sleep practices.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 3,400 infants die each year in the US from sleep-related deaths,” said Annie Bell, MCHB supervisor. “Through Safe Sleep Hawaiʻi, we provide information, resources and referrals to help parents and caregivers create a safe sleeping environment for their babies, which includes following safe sleep recommendations.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics provides the following recommendations to help parents and caregivers reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths:

• Always place your baby on its back for naptime and bedtime, or whenever it sleeps.
• Never put any soft objects such as pillows, blankets, toys or crib bumpers where your baby is sleeping.
• Infants should sleep in your room and close to your bed but on a separate surface designed for infants, ideally for at least the first six months.
• Use a firm, flat, non-inclined sleep surface to reduce the risk of suffocation or wedging/entrapment. It’s dangerous for babies to sleep on a couch, armchair or nursing pillow.
• It’s OK to swaddle a baby, but stop swaddling as soon as they start learning to roll.
• Breastfeed and/or feed human milk to both term and preterm infants for at least the first six months if possible.
• Offer your baby a pacifier at naptime and bedtime to reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Never smoke or use substances around your baby or let anyone smoke or use substances around your baby. Smoking and using substances such as alcohol, marijuana, opioids or other illicit drugs should be avoided during pregnancy and after birth.

The Safe Sleep Hawai‘i webpage includes referral links to community organizations partnering with the DOH. The Parent Line offers resources and information related to parenting, including free online safe sleep workshops.

Another safe sleep partner is the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaiʻi, which provides social services and clinical support for birthing families in Hawaiʻi. The coalition also runs the Hawaiʻi Cribs for Kids program that provides safe sleep education, support and cribs for income-eligible families.

To learn more about safe sleep and download a Safe Sleep Guide for Parents available in 12 languages, visit health.hawaii.gov/safesleep.