The best way to keep babies safe while sleeping is to share the room — not the bed, chair or couch.
It’s important for moms and dads to remember this but it’s also something that all your baby’s caregivers — babysitters, grandparents, aunts and older siblings — should know to prevent death due to unsafe sleep.
An easy way to learn more about how to keep babies safe when sleeping is the Safe Sleep Academy online training module.
Akron Children’s Hospital and the Molly Ann Gries Foundation have partnered to create the free program to educate parents and caregivers about best practices to prevent infant deaths due to unsafe sleep. It’s accessible from any computer, tablet or phone with an internet connection.
The Safe Sleep Academy, available at safesleepforbabies.org, features easy to follow interactive training for three different audiences: community health workers and home visitors; families and caregivers; and physicians and health care professionals. Each training takes about 30 minutes to complete, and those who successfully finish earn a certificate upon completion.
The new course, created with input from medical professionals, is one way the hospital and foundation are working to prevent unsafe sleep deaths. The most recent data shows that three babies die each week in Ohio because of an unsafe sleep environment. In addition, Black infants are 2.5 to 3 times more likely to die due to unsafe sleep than other babies.
Pediatric experts like Dr. Yolanda Moore-Forbes helped create the Safe Sleep Academy.
“We want to see babies thrive and survive,” said Dr. Yolanda Moore-Forbes, an Akron Children’s pediatrician. “Our region and state continue to see infant deaths that could be prevented. Spreading the word to parents and caregivers about safe sleep is just one way we are helping families to avoid the heartbreaking loss of a child.”
In recent years, Akron Children’s has rolled out several other initiatives, such as videos and community billboards, to educate and inform the community about the ABCs of safe sleep: Babies should always sleep Alone, on their Backs, in an empty Crib. Following these steps helps reduce the risk of sudden infant death.
Meagen Gries, of Hudson, who founded the Molly Ann Gries Foundation with her husband, Jeff Gries, as a result of their infant daughter’s death, said spreading the word about safe sleep practices is the foundation’s mission.
Meagen Gries has become an advocate for safe sleep after the loss of her daughter, Molly Ann.
“Tools like the Safe Sleep Academy can literally make a difference between life and death,” she said. “I encourage moms and dads, grandparents, siblings, babysitters and anyone who cares for little ones to take advantage of this free resource. I’m happy that our family can partner with Akron Children’s on such an important initiative.”
For additional safe sleep resources from Akron Children’s, go to https://www.akronchildrens.org/pages/Safe-Sleep-and-Cribs-for-Kids.html
