October is Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month and parents are being reminded how to keep their sleeping babies safe. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services infant safe sleep coordinator Colleen Nelson tells WSJM News there are some basic guidelines that should be followed.
“The recommendations are that babies should be placed on their back to sleep in a crib, bassinette, or Pack n Play, and that crib, bassinette, or Pack n Play should have a firm mattress with a tightly fitted sheet, and we want to make sure that baby’s sleep area is clutter-free. So, no pillows, blankets, or toys.”
An average of 146 infants die in their sleep in Michigan each year. Nelson says many of them are due to asphyxiation. She recommends parents of babies look up safety information for products they buy for their infants. You can find out more at Michigan.gov/SafeSleep.
