Safe Sleep For Babies 2022

Safe sleep has become a popular topic this year and we couldn’t be happier! Let’s call this year Safe Sleep for Babies 2022!

In May 2022, President Biden signed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act into law. This law removes potentially dangerous baby sleep products from the market. In-bed sleepers, inclined sleepers, loungers, bumper pads and travel/compact sleepers are all included in the law.    

In conjunction, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) safe sleep recommendations were also updated this year.

These recommendations are to keep your baby safe during sleep and to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Approximately 3,500 infants die from sleep-related infant deaths annually in the United States. Research indicates that sleep-related death can occur when an infant with an intrinsic vulnerability to SIDS is placed in an unsafe sleep environment.

American Academy of Pediatrics

Our team of certified child sleep consultants are passionate about safe sleep!  Your babies’ safety, health and wellness are always top of mind for us. Our recommendations to improve sleep align with the Safe Sleep for Babies Act and the AAP safe sleep recommendations.

Next let’s take a look at the existing, new and revised recommendations Safe Sleep For Babies 2022!

I’m sharing some of this verbatim from the AAP news release article on 6/21/2022.

AAP Safe Sleep Recommendations

Sleep Space:

• Place babies on their backs for all sleep.
• Babies should sleep on a firm, flat non-inclined surface
• All sleep surfaces should adhere to the June 2021 Consumer Product Safety Commission’s rule that any infant sleep product must meet existing federal safety standards for cribs, bassinets, play yards, and bedside sleepers.
• The sleep space should only include a firm mattress with a fitted sheet and the baby in a sleep sack or a swaddle.
• The sleep space should not have any soft toys, pillows, blankets or other bedding
• Avoid car seats, strollers, swings, infant carriers, and infant slings for routine sleep, especially for infants who are younger than 4 months.
• Keep the temperature between 68-72F to prevent overheating, which is a risk factor for SIDS
• AAP recommends that parents sleep in the same room – but not in the same bed as a baby, preferably for at least the first six months.

“We know that many parents choose to share a bed with a child, for instance, perhaps to help with breastfeeding or because of a cultural preference or a belief that it is safe.
The evidence is clear that this significantly raises the risk of a baby’s injury or death, however, and for that reason AAP cannot support bed-sharing under any circumstances.”

Rebecca Carlin, MD, FAAP

Swaddles & Sleep Sacks

• There is no evidence to recommend swaddling as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS. Placed swaddled infants on their backs.
• Weighted swaddles, weighted clothing or weighted objects on or near the baby are not safe and not recommended.
• When an infant starts showing signs of attempting to roll (which usually occurs at 3 to 4 months but may occur earlier), swaddling is no longer appropriate, as it could increase the risk of suffocation if the swaddled infant rolls to the prone position.

Devices and Soothing Tools

• A pacifier has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS, if your baby will take one.
• Avoid the use of commercial devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS or other sleep-related deaths. There is no evidence that any of these devices reduce the risk of these deaths. The use of products claiming to increase sleep safety may provide a false sense of security and complacency for caregivers. Do not use home cardiorespiratory monitors as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Feeding

• We are #teamfeedyourbaby! Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths. 2 months of feeding at least partial human milk feeding has been demonstrated to significantly lower the risk of sleep-related deaths.
• The AAP recommends exclusive human milk feeding for 6 months. Continuation of human milk feeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by parent and infant.

Parent & Baby Health

• Avoid parent and infant exposure to nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opioids, and illicit drugs.
• Make sure the baby receives routine immunizations.
• Parent-supervised, awake tummy can help to facilitate infant development and optimal head shape development.
• This can begin soon after hospital discharge. Parents should increase tummy time incrementally to at least 15 to 30 minutes total daily by 7 weeks of age.

Certainly, join us in Safe Sleep for Babies 2022 and implement all of these suggestions with your newborns and infants!

If you have any questions, schedule a chat with your pediatrician.  Know that if you choose to work with us, our recommendations will be in alignment with those of the AAP and the Safe Sleep for Babies Act. 

Want to share your safe sleep space for your baby with us!?  Tag @bellalunafamily so we can ooohhh and aaaahhh over your gorgeous AND safe space!