DEAR EDITOR:

I am a senior nursing student at Youngstown State University. Recently, I completed my rotation on the maternity ward, witnessing births and helping new moms with newborn care.

Working with these new moms, I learned that not all women are fully aware of the safest practices. Therefore, I wanted to bring awareness to the newborn parents about safe sleep practices for their infants. These practices may have been slightly different than what was in place for their other children or even what their mother showed them from when they were babies.

Many parents are unaware of all the risks an infant can experience during sleep if not properly placed in a safe environment. Unsafe sleep practices are one of the leading causes of death for infants, with a 12% increased rate from 2020 to 2022 (Health Policy Institute of Ohio, 2025). While this percent may not look high, any percent regarding increased deaths is already too high.

Newborn education is key for best practices to lower the chances of endangering and even losing our new little ones.

An easy way to remember safe sleep practices for parents or anyone caring for infants is to recite the ABCs of safe sleep:

A: Alone! Infants should always be alone, not sharing a bed.

B: Back! All babies should be placed on their backs for every sleep.

C: Crib! Nothing should be in the crib while the baby is in there sleeping (Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 2020). This includes blankets, pillows and stuffed animals.

Some other practices to include for safe sleeping are tightly fitted sheets, firm and breathable mattress, keeping the room at a cool temperature to avoid overheating the baby, dressing baby appropriately to still be kept warm without blankets, and to perform supervised tummy time during the day to increase the strength in head, neck and core.

Although every new parent wants to be cuddled up with their new baby while they sleep, it is important to remember these practices to ensure safe sleep for your baby. The ease does not outweigh the risk. Therefore, by increasing our education and helping others with infants regarding these simple ABC practices, we can lower these increasing rates of infant death due to unsafe sleep environments.

CADENCE KRPICAK

Austintown