06/05/2026
💜🩵 Safe Sleep Saves Lives 🩵💜
As we continue recognizing National Safety Month, we want to highlight one of the most important ways parents and caregivers can protect their babies: practicing safe sleep.
Each year in the United States, approximately 3,500 babies die from sleep-related causes, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation, and other sleep-related infant deaths. Following safe sleep recommendations can significantly reduce these risks.
Remember the ABCs of Safe Sleep:
💙 Alone Babies should sleep alone without blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, or crib bumpers.
💙 Back Always place your baby on their back for every sleep, including naps.
💙 Crib Use a firm, flat sleep surface such as a crib, bassinet, or play yard that meets current safety standards.
For families of premature babies, safe sleep is especially important. Premature infants are at a higher risk for SIDS than full-term infants. Research also shows that Black infants and American Indian/Alaska Native infants experience higher rates of SIDS and sleep-related infant deaths than other populations. These disparities are believed to be linked to factors such as access to healthcare, maternal and infant health outcomes, socioeconomic conditions, and access to safe sleep education and resources.
At the Eli Collins Foundation for Premature Babies, we believe that every family deserves access to the information and support needed to keep their baby safe. By sharing safe sleep practices and empowering parents with education, we can help reduce preventable infant deaths and give more babies the opportunity to grow, thrive, and celebrate milestones.
Every baby deserves a safe place to sleep. Every family deserves the knowledge to protect them.
