GBI Child Fatality Review Unit Urges “safe sleep” environments for infants

Decatur, GA (July 10, 2019) – As parents, it is very tempting to want to place your infant in your bed so you can comfort them and feel “safe” while they sleep. Georgia Child Fatality Review urges parents to resist this temptation. Regardless of warnings, last year more than 100 infants died in Georgia as a result of co-sleeping with their parents or being placed in other unsafe sleep environments. According to the CDC, in the US in 2017, there were approximately 900 deaths of infants due to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. In March of 2019, investigators around the state responded to 13 cases of “sleep related” deaths of infants in Georgia.

Remember the ABC’s of Safe Sleep:

Alone – Babies should sleep alone in their own sleep space, close but separate from their caregiver.
Back – Babies should be placed on their back to sleep. Every sleep. Every nap. Every time.
Crib – Babies should sleep in a crib or bassinet with a firm, flat surface with no extra items such as blankets or toys.

GBI Saving Georgia’s Children PSA: https://youtu.be/ks9ew3lYRe4