Georgia Running “Safe To Sleep” Campaign

Each year in the U.S., more than 4,000 infants without a prior known illness or injury die suddenly from causes attributed to their sleep environment.

In fact, Georgia averages about three infant deaths per week due to sleep-related causes and nearly 90 percent of those deaths happen in the first six months of a baby’s life.

Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald said the biggest problem is an unsafe sleep environment.

However, she said it is an entirely preventable problem by following the ABC’s of Safe Sleep.

Fitzgerald said “A” stands for the baby sleeping alone.

“We know from the research that we have done that most of them, 60 percent of the time, an adult has rolled over on the baby,” said Fitzgerald.

She said the “B” stands for the baby sleeping on its back.

“The reality is when a baby is on its tummy, the windpipe is actually underneath where the esophagus is, so the baby is on the back, the windpipe is on top and that is where you want it,” said Fitzgerald.

Finally, Fitzgerald said “C” is for sleeping in a crib.

“You want to make sure there is nothing in that crib,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald said that the Georgia Department of Public Health is working with hospitals across the state to get this message out through the Georgia Safe To Sleep Campaign.

According to Fitzgerald, the goal is to send a host of informational materials home with new parents about the ABC’s of Safe Sleep.

For more information, people can also go to georgiasafetosleep.org.