Education

Providing a safe sleeping area for your baby is one of the most important things you can do to ensure his safety.  To eliminate as much risk as possible, babies should sleep in an approved crib with a firm mattress.  There should be nothing around them that can restrict the flow of air. 

It is especially imperative that new parents and caretakers understand why this is so important.  All human beings exhale carbon dioxide.  When a baby sleeps on his stomach or with objects in his crib, the carbon dioxide can build up around his head.  These objects do not need to be in direct contact with a baby’s face to cause carbon dioxide build up.  A baby’s nervous system is not developed enough to tell them to turn their head for this “bad air”.  They continue to breath “bad air” and can quickly succumb to carbon dioxide poisoning and die.

The cause of those deaths is not suffocation.  To prevent rebreathing, always put your baby to bed on his back, with no blankets or other objects.  It is believed that a fan in the room can promote gentle air movement and help as well.  Never allow your baby to sleep in his car seat when not in the car because of risk of rebreathing and constricted air flow.

10 Steps to Reduce the Risk of SIDS

1.  Always place babies on their BACK to sleep

2.  Do not fall asleep with a baby in an adult bed or on a sofa, babies sleep safest in their own crib or bassinet placed near your bed for the first six months.

3.  Do not smoke while you are pregnant and do not expose babies to second hand smoke after they are born.

4.  For safest sleep, use safety approved crip or bassinet with a firm mattress covered with only a tight-fitting crib sheet.

5.  Do not place babies to sleep on soft surfaces (adult beds, sofas, waterbeds, blankets, quilts, sheepskins.)

6.  Do not use loose blankets in a baby’s crib.  Keep babies warm and safe with a wearable blanket or other type sleeper.

7.  Remove all soft bedding and other soft items from the crib (including soft or pillow-like bumpers).

8.  Take care not to overheat babies with too much clothing or too warm of room.

9.  Use a pacifier at  nap and nighttime for the first year.  For breastfed infants, delay use until 1 month of age to ensure establishment of breastfeeding. 

10.  Educate everyone who cares for babies about these important safety tips!

The Safer Way to Sleep

HALO SleepSack Swaddle – Safe from the Start.

Swaddling of infants has been common practice around the world for thousands of years.  It has been shown that wrapping an infant snugly comforts them and immobilizing their arms prevents the “moro”, or startle reflex, allowing them to sleep more soundly.  The 2-in1 SleepSack Swaddle helps infants to be swaddled from birth, but also allows you to remove the swaddle feature when no longer needed and use the SleepSack wearable blanket alone.

Why use a HALO SleepSack wearable blanket?

First Candle / SIDS Alliance, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumer Products Safety Commission recommend against soft and loose bedding in cribs.  This has made many parents unsure about how to keep their baby comfortable and safe. 

Designed by a parent who lost an infant to SIDS, and now being used in hospital nurseries nationwide, the HALO SleepSack wearable blanket replaces loose blankets that can cover your baby’s face and interfere with breathing.  It’s the only product that carries the First Candle / SIDS Alliance gold seal, the Canadian Foundation gold seal, the Canadian Foundation gold seal recommendation and the Home Safety council’s Innovation Award for Consumer Safety.

It allows parents and caregivers to remove loose blankets from their baby’s crib and still keep the baby cozy, warm and safe throughout the night.  In addition, parents report their babies sleep better since they stay covered throughout the night.

For more information on SIDS and rebreathing, visit www.firstcandle.com