Don’t have time to read the 2022 AAP safe sleep guidelines? Have no Fear! They are summarized below:

1. No co-sleeping under any circumstance
2. Supine sleep position, even for infants with GERD. Supine sleep position does NOT increase risk of choking or aspiration.
3. No inclined beds (also ineffective at reducing reflux!)
4. Hospitalized preterm infants should be supine as soon as they have positional stability (~32 weeks)
5. If the infant can roll, they can stay in that sleep position
6. Mattress toppers to make the bed softer are NOT recommended. Mattress should be firm
7. No broken cribs or cribs with missing hardware
8. No dangling cords, wires, or window coverings near bed
9. Remove infant from car seat if they fall asleep (while not driving)
10. Benefit of human milk increases with exclusivity. However, any human milk is more protective than none.
11. Same room as parents but separate sleep surface
12. No sleeping on couches or armchairs due to risk of wedging and entrapment
13. No co-bedding for twins
14. No soft objects, loose bedding, crib bumpers
15. No smoking
16. Use a pacifier
17. No weighted sleep sacks or blankets
18. No more swaddling after signs of rolling

The most important job of a parent/caregiver is to keep their infant safe and healthy. If there was something you could do to prevent death while your infant is sleeping I bet you would want to know. Good news: There is!

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published its updated Safe Sleep Guidelines for children under one year of age. The most important things to know about safe sleep are as follows: No co-sleeping under any circumstance, place the infant back to sleep for EVERY sleep, no inclined beds or propping up your infant, no mattress topers, no swaddling after signs of rolling over, no broken cribs, no weighted sleep sacks or blankets, no soft objects (blankets, stuffed animals, crib bumpers), and no sleeping on couches or armchairs due to risk of wedging and entrapment.

There are also certain things you can do as a parent which protects against sudden unexpected infant death. Offer your infant a pacifier, offer human milk (every drop counts!), and sleep in the same room as your infant but on a separate sleep surface.

Perhaps the most shocking fact is that  one of the devices designed to keep your infant safe can actually cause harm if not used appropriately. That device is the car seat. Every infant under the age of one should be in a rear facing car seat when they are riding in the car. However, if you take the car seat out of the car and set it on the ground you’ll notice it rocks forward because it does not have the base designed for it. This can cause the infants head to “slump over” leading to positional asphyxiation and ultimately death.

Parenting is the hardest job there is and practicing safe sleep is by no means easy. If you are breast feeding in the middle of the night I suggest using a timer to ensure you don’t fall asleep. I’d also recommend to sit on the floor (if you are incredibly exhausted) and to occupy your mind with television, social media, or games on your phone while nursing. If you have any questions about safe sleep be sure to ask your child’s pediatrician. We believe in you!