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Baltimore City Health Department
ABC’s of Safe Sleep Initiative
During 2002-2006, 89 Baltimore City infants died unexpectedly while sleeping. Eighty-one of these infants (91%) were in unsafe sleeping environments (Baltimore City Health Data Snapshot, September 17, 2007). An unsafe sleeping environment includes:
- Sleeping on stomach or side (particularly among infants who cannot yet roll over); or
- Co-sleeping – infant sleeping in a bed or couch with another person; or
- Soft bedding, toys or soft objects under or around the infant during sleep; or
- No crib available or improper use of crib; or
- Smoking in the house
In response to the alarming number of deaths, the Health Department’s, Division of Maternal and Child Health is implementing a multi-faceted approach to improving sleeping environments and practices for infants. This approach includes addressing the problem of unsafe sleep by:
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- Launching a Safe Sleep Campaign on September 17, 2007 consisting of public service announcements (PSAs) on WERQ-92.3FM and posters in bus shelters. WJZ-TV 13 Baltimore also featured the campaign in a story, "Group Wants to Eliminate SIDS," that aired on September 25, 2007.
- Providing Safe Sleep training to Obstetric/Labor & Delivery staff at all birthing hospitals in Baltimore
- Distributing “onesies” with Safe Sleep messaging and safe sleep education
- Distributing free cribs to pregnant women and women with young babies through the Baltimore City Crib Fund
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