Safe Sleep

ABC=Alone on Back in empty Crib. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends the following:

Back to sleep for every sleep.
Use a firm sleep surface: Infants should be placed on a firm sleep surface (mattress, in a safety approved crib) covered by a fitted sheet with no other bedding or soft objects to reduce the risk of SIDS and suffocation.
Breastfeeding: Recommended. Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS.
It is recommended that infants sleep in the parents’ room, close to the parents’ bed, but on a separate surface designed for infants, ideally for the first year of life, but at least for the first 6 months.
Keep soft objects and loose bedding away from the infant’s sleep area to reduce the risk of SIDS, suffocation, entrapment, and strangulation.
Consider offering a pacifier at nap time and bedtime
Avoid smoke exposure during pregnancy and after birth
Avoid alcohol and illicit drug use during pregnancy and after birth
Avoid overheating and head covering in infants
Pregnant women should obtain regular prenatal care
Infants should be immunized in accordance with recommendations of the AAP and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Avoid the use of commercial devices that are inconsistent with safe sleep recommendations
Do not use home cardiorespiratory monitors as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS
Supervised, awake tummy time is recommended to facilitate development and to minimize development of positional pagiocephaly

Additional Safe Sleep Resources