Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, is defined as a child who has died in their sleep due to an unexplained circumstance. In the United States, the Safe to Sleep Campaign, formerly known as the Back to Sleep Campaign, was founded with the intention of bringing awareness to SIDS rates in the nation and offers preventative methods and suggestions. Some of these interventions include placing the infant on their backs while they sleep, removing objects from the sleeping area, parental avoidance of alcohol, and breastfeeding the infant. The Safe to Sleep Campaign has been implemented as state government funded program for childcare regulations regarding a safe sleep and living environment for the infant. SIDS is not an uncommon fatality in our nation. SIDS affects many families each year, but so many interventions can be implemented in order to prevent the horrific occurrence of SIDS. Children are the future of America and it is our civic responsibility to be knowledgeable about the latest research in preventive and safety measures regarding infant’s sleeping patterns. Safe to Sleep Campaign History The National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, or the NICHD founded the Safe to Sleep Campaign in 1994. In its first year, the movement mailed out campaign materials to all members of the AAP and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, all U.S. hospitals with newborn nurseries, and local and regional clinics of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Public Service Announcements were sent out to 6,700 radio stations and 1,000 television stations in hopes of amplifying the message of placing infants on their backs while they sleep to reduce the risk of SIDS (Explore the Campaign, 2015). The success of the movement is easily measurable through investigation after the infant’s death. According to Riegelman and Kirkwood, the “campaigns are believed to have reduced sudden infant death syndrome by nearly 50% in the United States” (2015). However, SIDS remains the leading cause of death for U.S. infants who range in 1 month to 1 year of age. The movement has made great strides in reducing the rate of SIDS and other infant death causes, but there still remains more that can and will be done to further eradicate this unfortunate cause of death. Safe to Sleep Champions Safe to Sleep Champions was implemented in 2012 as a specific initiative in the Safe to Sleep movement. The Champions are representatives who speak in local communities in all fifty states, and these Champions come from a variety of backgrounds, including: physicians, public health professionals, families who have lost their infant to SIDS, or individuals from organizations. Safe to Sleep Champions are expected to be knowledgeable on the updated recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Safe to Sleep campaign. Through their strong efforts, Safe to Sleep Champions has reached out to more than 4.8 million people nationwide (Explore the Campaign, 2015). They spend a majority of their time educating the community through media and different public health projects. In the state of South Dakota, First Lady Linda Daugaard is the Safe to Sleep Campaign representative. The Safe to Sleep Champions conducted an online education study regarding safe sleep practices and ways to
…show more content…
They are often used as calming or reward mechanisms. However, when the child is being put down to rest, they should not have any pillows, blankets, or unnecessary items, such as toys, in the crib with them. Since the American Association of Pediatrics published its latest statement in reference to SIDS in 2000, it “stresses the need to avoid redundant soft bedding and soft objects in the infant 's sleeping environment, the hazards of adults sleeping with an infant in the same bed” (2005). The reason for this being, if children roll around in the night they may get tangled in loose sheets and could suffocate. Similarly, they should not share a bed with a parent or guardian, as it is very easy for the adult to roll over onto the child and the child will suffer from suffocation. While in some circumstances it may be fine for a parent to share a room with an infant, it is never acceptable for them to share a bed. A child should have their own sleeping area to promote better sleeping habits as they start to grow
They are often used as calming or reward mechanisms. However, when the child is being put down to rest, they should not have any pillows, blankets, or unnecessary items, such as toys, in the crib with them. Since the American Association of Pediatrics published its latest statement in reference to SIDS in 2000, it “stresses the need to avoid redundant soft bedding and soft objects in the infant 's sleeping environment, the hazards of adults sleeping with an infant in the same bed” (2005). The reason for this being, if children roll around in the night they may get tangled in loose sheets and could suffocate. Similarly, they should not share a bed with a parent or guardian, as it is very easy for the adult to roll over onto the child and the child will suffer from suffocation. While in some circumstances it may be fine for a parent to share a room with an infant, it is never acceptable for them to share a bed. A child should have their own sleeping area to promote better sleeping habits as they start to grow