Business Community
No parent or caregiver should be unaware of how to keep babies safe and no baby should go without a safe place to sleep within any city in Mississippi. When families learn about safe ways to place their babies to sleep AND they have access to safe sleep environments like cribs and bassinets, the risk of infants being harmed or dying in sleep related events can be reduced.
As a leader in your community, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your patients know how to keep its babies safe during sleep times.
Providers
As a medical provider there are a few steps you can take to make sure your patients know how to keep babies safe during sleep times.
- Display safe sleep materials in public places or within exam rooms.
- Screen all pregnant women and infant caregivers on safe sleep environments for baby at prenatal, postpartum and well baby visits.
- Share safe sleep materials and resources with infant caregivers or pregnant women and families.
- Become a Safe Sleep Champion and encourage other healthcare professionals to join in the campaign.
Why Should Providers Focus on Safe Sleep?
You play an important role for helping parents and caregivers keep their babies healthy. Model safe sleep practices whenever you can and educate parents, grandparents, and caregivers on the importance of safe sleep so you can reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID).
How to Promote Safe Sleep
Clinicians, community leaders and the media all have a part to play in promoting Safe Sleep. Here’s how to help:
- Know and share the STEPS TO SAFE SLEEP Checklist with everyone who cares for and about our babies!
- Teach and encourage safe sleep at your practice, your workplace, your church, or wherever you reach people. You can even set up a safe sleep display in your workplace using the materials found here.
- Model safe sleep by removing items from a crib or Pack ‘n Play, placing baby on his or her back, and using a sleep sack.
- Have questions? Want to do even more? Please contact us at here.