You can help babies sleep safely and reduce the risk of accidental suffocation and sudden infant deaths by making sure to follow the ABCs of Safe Sleep!
Alone, Back, Crib
Beds 4 Babies Project:
The Beds 4 Babies Project consists of two components:
1. Public awareness and education campaign
2. Distribution of portable cribs to eligible families to provide a safe place for babies to sleep
The Beds 4 Babies Project promotes infant safety by educating parents on the need for safe sleep practices. The project works directly with families most in need and Healthy Start staff accepts referrals from community organizations and local medical providers.
How do I qualify to receive a portable crib?
1. Be a resident of Hardee, Highlands or Polk Counties
2. Agree to listen to safe sleep education and learn how to properly use a crib
3. Have no crib for the infant and cannot otherwise provide a separate, safe place for baby to sleep
4. Have an infant 6 months and under or be in your last month of pregnancy
5. Sign consent to participate and release of information to include name, race, date of birth, baby’s name and age, city and zip code
6. Agree to use crib per manufacturer’s guidelines and keep for future pregnancies
*Eligibility requirements may vary based on available funding
How can I help provide a safe place for an infant to sleep?
You can help babies sleep safely and reduce the risk of accidental suffocation and sudden infant deaths.
Your donation of $65 provides a portable crib and educational information to families in need. A donation of $10 provides up to 2 sheets for a portable crib. Donations in any amount are welcome. To give online through PayPal click here. Mail checks and make payable to:
Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties, Inc.
650 E Davidson Street
Bartow, FL 33830
*Unfortunately the Coalition cannot accept donations of used cribs*
For more information or a presentation about “Safe Sleep Practices” and/or the
“Beds 4 Babies Project”, contact the Coalition office at:
863-534-9224
Community support has been received from
the following sponsors:
www.floridasnatural.com
While the unknown causes that contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cannot be completely prevented, creating a safe sleep environment can protect your baby from suffocation and strangulation risk and decrease the likelihood of SIDS.
Safe sleep focuses on three critical areas, which the American Academy of Pediatrics refers to as the ABCs of Safe Sleep. Babies sleep safest Alone, on their Backs, and in Cribs. A safe sleep environment encompasses the following:
Alone: Do not put pillows, blankets, crib bumpers, toys, soft objects or loose bedding in a baby’s sleeping area. It is also critical to ensure strings, like window blind cords, are far out of the baby’s reach.
Backs: In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending that all babies be placed on their backs to sleep. Deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) drastically declined after this recommendation. “Back to sleep” should always be followed unless under the direction of your child’s pediatrician.
Cribs: Babies should never sleep in adult beds or on couches and recliners, with or without a caregiver. The Florida Department of Health’s “Child Abuse Death Review Annual Report” found that a staggering 58.8% of infant sleep-related deaths in 2019 took place in an adult bed. Bed sharing is a common practice that can have tragic consequences. While some believe sleeping with their baby creates a special bond, the risk far outweighs the benefits.
Safe Sleep experts recommend keeping the child in the same room, close to the parental bed, in a crib, portable crib, or bassinet for at least the first year of life. Mattresses should be firm, and the only bedding should be a snug-fitting sheet.
You must be logged in to post a comment.