September is Baby Safety Month, and one of the most important aspects of infant safety is sleep safety. Ensuring your baby has a safe sleep environment is essential in reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths.
Why Safe Sleep is Crucial
While we can’t completely eliminate the risk of SIDS, significant research has shown that a safe sleep environment can substantially reduce the risk. A proper sleep environment also safeguards babies from unintentional suffocation and strangulation. Here are a few recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Top Safe Sleep Tips
- Always Put Your Baby to Sleep on Their Back: Whether it’s naptime or nighttime, make sure to lay your baby on their back until they turn one. Babies who sleep on their backs have a significantly lower risk of sudden and unexpected death than those who sleep on their stomachs or sides.
- Use a Firm, Flat Sleep Surface: The sleep surface should be firm, meaning it shouldn’t indent when the baby lies on it. Moreover, any inclined surface of more than 10 degrees isn’t safe for baby sleep. A crib, bassinet, or portable crib that meets the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is ideal.
- Check for Recalls and Adhere to Safety Standards: Make sure to regularly check the CPSC website, especially if you’re using a second-hand crib, to ensure it hasn’t been recalled.
- Avoid Overloading the Crib: Only a fitted sheet should be inside the crib with your baby. Toys, blankets, bumpers, and other soft objects can pose a suffocation risk.
- Choose the Right Mattress: A popular option for crib mattresses that can transition easily for a toddler, is the Colgate Mattress® Eco Classica III. It’s a dual-firmness crib mattress tailored for both infants and toddlers. Its eco-friendly design using sustainable plant oils, the certified organic cotton cover, and its adherence to safety standards including GREENGUARD® Gold and CertiPUR-US®. The added waterproofing feature is ideal for those inevitable midnight accidents.
“A baby’s sleep surface isn’t just about comfort; it’s primarily about safety. At Colgate, we’ve dedicated years of research and innovation to ensure we provide not just comfort, but an unparalleled level of trust in every mattress. Parents have enough to worry about, and wondering if their baby’s sleep environment is safe shouldn’t be one of them. Every time a child lies down on a Colgate mattress, we want parents to feel confident that their precious one is sleeping on a surface made with care, dedication, and above all, safety in mind,” commented Brent Wolken, VP and third generation at Colgate Mattress.
- Avoid Non-Specific Sleep Products: Only use products explicitly designed for infant sleep. Following the CPSC rule of June, 2021, all infant sleep products should meet federal safety standards. This rules out items like inclined sleep products, baby boxes, baby nests, and the likes unless they comply with the regulations.
- Transfer from Car Seats or Slings: If your baby dozes off in a car seat, swing, stroller, or sling, ensure you transfer them to a firm sleep surface as soon as you can.