Do you know what Safe Sleep is and what it looks like?
Safe Sleep is the recommended sleeping practice for infants. These practices include making sure babies are placed alone, on their back, in a crib or pack & play with a firm and flat sleep surface that is free of any loose bedding or unnecessary objects such as stuffed animals or pillows.
Babies should always sleep alone, as most healthcare professionals will point out, co-sleeping is very dangerous and puts infants at more risk of injury. The goal of safe sleep is to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and the rate of infant mortality.
The danger here is the soft bedding and the hat. Both of which could lead to asphyxiation. You want a firm bedding that your baby will not sink into.
While you probably want your baby to feel warm while sleeping they should not be given blankets or any lose materials. This runs the risk of them becoming tangled or buried in the materials and in turn causing asphyxiation. You also want them to be flat and not at an incline.
While these images are very cute, each one demonstrates an unsafe sleep environment.
Co-sleeping can lead to many issues. The most prevalent being overlapping the infant and causing them to asphyxiate. The next being "wedging". Where for example the baby falls of the side and gets stuck between the wall and the bed. It is important to remember that the danger of co-sleep dose not only apply to adults. This can happen with older children, animals and or even other babies.
Asphyxia: This is a life threatening condition in which a person is unable to receive an adequate amount of oxygen.
The danger here is the pillows and stuffed animals within the crib. White cute and snuggly they run the risk of asphyxia.
Sleeping on their tummies might be comfy for babies but it can be quite dangerous. Babies do not have the proper neck muscles to move their head on their own yet. When sleeping facedown they run the risk of causing the carbon dioxide that they are breathing out to "pocket". This will cause them to asphyxiate.
Fetal Infant Mortality Review
What is FIMR?
FIMR stands for Fetal and Infant Mortality Review. In the entirety of the United States about 23,000 babies that are born alive, unfortunately, do to not survive to their first birthday. Nearly the same number of babies are stillborn. The mission of FIMR is to have a multi-disciplinary community team review each individual loss to pinpoint certain disparities and improve the mortality rates for the United States. The organization works towards improving services, systems, and resources for women, infants, and families. Locally, our Healthy Start Coalition participates in a FIMR regional project where, sadly, 3-4 infant and fetal cases are reviewed every month. These case reviews determine our action steps in the community to prevent infant and fetal death.
FIMR & Safe Sleep
In Leon County in 2017, the “Traveling Crib Initiative” was formed as a result of the FIMR findings. This is a display that shows a doll representing a resting infant in a crib practicing the ABCs of safe sleep. This crib travels around the community promoting safe sleep in medical facilities, libraries, housing developments, daycare centers and various businesses. This was proven effective documented by a drop in infant deaths related to safe sleep. We have successfully duplicate this in our counties. Simply referring to it as the "Traveling Crib" As of October 2024 we proudly have had two small doll sized cribs circulating Jefferson, Madison and Taylor Counties. Showing the members of our community what a safe sleep environment looks like.
Case Review Team
CRT, is a multi-disciplinary team of professionals who review the circumstances surrounding a fetal or infant death. During the case review process, CRT members often use deidentified abstracted information from vital records (death and birth certificates), hospitals, clinics, physicians, law enforcement, Medical Examiner records, community agencies, and family/maternal interviews. Members of this team will be expected to identify positive elements, and challenges, as well as create recommendations for intervention to the CAT. The Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition facilitates this process on behalf of 6 counties in the Big Bend.
If you have experienced a loss and would like to tell your story to FIMR, please contact Victoria via email at vtaylor@healthystartjmt.org
Community Action Team
CAT members are responsible for developing new and creative solutions to improve services and resources for families from the recommendations made by the case review team. This team generally consists of community leaders representing government, consumers, key institutions, and health and human services organizations. This process is facilitated by the Healthy Start Coalition of Jefferson, Madison and Taylor Counties. To be part of this important work, contact Donna Hagan, Executive Director at dhagan@healthystartjmt.org
What CAN BUSINESSES DO? Donate a pack and play by calling the Coalition at 850-948-2741
How does Healthy Families Seven Rivers help with safe sleep?
Story One
Healthy Families Seven Rivers had a participant whose child was removed from her care by DCF. During the implementation of her safety plan, unsafe sleep provisions were an area of concern and prevented the reunification of this family. Once this family enrolled in the HFSR program, she was educated on safe sleep practices, offered referrals to one of our community partners, and this referral met their need of providing safe sleep for their child. Once this safety measure was satisfied, this child was reunited with his family and the family continues to practice safe sleep, as well as educating other caregivers so they can do the same when he is in their care.
Healthy Families Seven Rivers provides Safe Sleep education during the initial Enrollment visit, at the first visit after the child is born and is continued throughout services when unsafe sleep practices are observed. When families are not able to provide a safe sleep environment our home visitors provide referrals to community partners, provide further education on safe sleep practices, determine barriers to choosing safe sleep for their children, and role play.
While some families use unsafe sleep practices because they aren’t familiar with the safety recommendations, many times, the barrier for providing a safe sleep environment is financial for our participants. Through continued education and the close relationship our agency has with community partners who can assist with this barrier allows us to help resolve this burden for parents quickly, reducing the dangers of unsafe sleep, such as SIDS, for the families enrolled in our program. Here are a few of our success stories.
If you would like more information about Healthy Families Seven Rivers, please contact Program Manager Brandi Turner by email at bturner@healthystartjmt.org or by phone at 850.948.2741 (office) 813.575.4074 (cell).
Story Two
Healthy Families Seven Rivers had one mother who disclosed she was co-sleeping with her child. Safe sleep education was provided but mom was not willing to make changes at that time. The HFSR home visitor continued to provide safe sleep education during home visits and decided to show this mom a video to further her understanding of safe sleep. After watching the video, this mom decided to implement safe sleep practices with her child and continues to report safe sleep practices are being followed.
