Sleep Safety

So you're expecting a new blessing, or maybe your miracle has arrived! I’ve been there too & (and will be there again soon as I currently cradle my 34 week baby bump!) was so excited to have my husband/Daddy-to-be assemble the crib and lovingly arrange some of my favorite swaddle blankets we received.

You may have even received crib bumpers from some well-intentioned relatives. Maybe some buttery soft stuffed animals that you secretly wish were for you.

All of these items you’ve received for baby were given out of love. They can be excellent photo shoot items for your staged shoots since you will literally accumulate thousands of pictures of your sacred baby on your phone. I get it, it’s so irresistible to share your little one with family members or for social media postings and so these staged photo shoots often have extra items in the crib or around your infant which you would otherwise remove, and the pictures are created under your watchful eye of course.

However, please consider that the ONLY decoration in your baby’s crib should be your beautiful and thriving baby! Please place your infant to sleep on their back in their own crib! If you do not have a crib, use a pack and play or other flat surface.

I have been there and can identify and appeal to you beyond the Pediatrician posture, but as a Mother to the exhaustion of being a new parent. I can remember working what seemed never-ending long shifts at the hospital and then breastfeeding my daughter when I got home. One night I awoke to her dangling over my left arm which was adjacent to the side of the crib. I had dozed off feeding her while sitting up in bed. She was fine, but I was horrified and terrified of the possibility of dropping her. We’ve all been there and the exhaustion is real. Find a safe surface or get up to feed in another room. When you are done feeding baby, place him or her back in the bassinet in your room or the crib in their own room and on their back!

I understand the urge to cuddle your baby, a living and breathing extension of your heart now outside your body. You can tell yourself you’ll be vigilant and you’ll keep the blankets and pillows on your own bed at bay. You cannot control the sleeping environment of your infant when they are sleeping and when you are sleeping! You need the restoration to continue being the amazing parent that you are.

Most of the infant deaths that occur due to preventable causes of airway obstruction from unsafe sleeping occur in the parent’s bed and when the infant is in the prone aka stomach position. These deaths likely occur due to suffocation when the infant isn’t strong enough to lift their neck and turn their head away from a dangerous situation.

The #1 cause of death for infants less than 1 year old in the United States is unintentional suffocation. 82% of these cases in a review of cases reported from 2011-2014 were secondary to accidental suffocation and strangulation that occurred in bed according to a study recently published by the CDC (abstract and video link posted at the bottom of this article if you’d like to review more information on this topic).

The CDC created the SUID (Sudden Unexpected Infant Death) case registry to track cases of infant suffocation secondary to unsafe bedding and hazards in the sleep area.

Additional sources of death have been attributable to blankets and pillows in the bed, as well as infants becoming inadvertently wedged against the wall or another surface.

Physiologically, what is likely happening is the infant is breathing in their own exhaled CO2. When we breathe out, we exhale carbon dioxide. We then breathe in oxygen from the environment. This is, at a basic level, how we survive. Babies who are subjected to unsafe sleeping surfaces in a parent’s bed, face down, with pillows and blankets that somehow get in their face, or up against another surface with no way to turn likely die of suffocation and lack of access to oxygen and by repeatedly breathing in their own exhaled carbon dioxide. The grief that these parent’s face is nothing that Physicians ever want to confirm in the ER setting where these infants are brought in hopes of an attempt at successful resuscitation. It is beyond excruciating to have to tell parents that their beautiful child has died, and the wails of raw grief never fully retreat from your mind.

The most important thing you can do in preparing for baby, other than knowing your love will exponentially grow and taking care of yourself, is making a plan and committing to a safe sleeping surface and getting your loved ones on board. Educate family members who will watch the infant regarding back to sleep and safe sleeping surfaces. Have a plan for baby when they will be sleeping outside of your home.

Popular infant sleeping surfaces which seem to be all the rage these days with their designs and “breathability” should not be placed inside the crib. They can be used under your watchful supervision when you are doing chores around the house and you can ensure the infant remains on their back and with an airway free of any impediments.

There is no substitute to a boring crib with only a firm mattress, your infant’s mattress cover and fitted crib sheet of your choice. No pillows, no blankets, no stuffed animals, no bumpers. Additionally please refrain from jewelry of any kind on your infant as they can present a strangulation hazard. Enjoy gazing upon your most beautiful creation in your gorgeous baby as they are the best decoration you could ever imagine in their crib free of any extras.

Each morning (or night when you reach over for the next feeding) feeling your warm and growing infant in your arms is the best reward.

I have had the honor of working with many loving parents over the years and I feel confident that parent’s make decisions out of love. Parenting your own children and making decisions for them is extremely intimate and personal. Please consider your own infant’s safety when making decisions regarding their sleeping surfaces.

Infant deaths secondary to suffocation happen all over the world to every type of family at every socioeconomic level. It is not something we can plan carefully to avoid, but rather mitigate the risks by enjoying our precious blessings and giving them the best chance to continue growing and thriving on their backs in their own cribs dreaming sweet dreams of their future. The cuddles will continue in your arms throughout the day (and night) during feeds and long into their future- even when we have to wrangle them and beg for cuddles.

More information on this topic can be found with the recent publication of the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and a video that accompanies it provides further information.

Aloha to safe sleeping and restorative snooze sessions for parents and babies alike!

Link to CDC Study:
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/143/5/e20183408

Other sleep tips:
Please move baby from swing/hammock/feeding pillow or other surfaces if they fall asleep into their crib; these are not meant as long term sleeping surfaces and can compromise their airway
Please move sleeping baby from car seat as these are also not approved long term sleeping surfaces for baby

Mahalo for Reading and Aloha vibes to Beautiful Babies Everywhere!