Nicklaus Children's Hospital was recently recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as a Certified Safe Sleep Hospital for its commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep. The hospital is one of the first in Florida to receive this designation.
The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created by Cribs for Kids®, a Pittsburgh-based organization dedicated to preventing infant sleep-related deaths due to accidental suffocation. In addition to being a Cribs for Kids® partner, Nicklaus Children's was recognized for following the safe sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and providing training programs for parents, staff and the community.
“Sleep-Related Death (SRD) results in the loss of more than 3,500 infants every year in the U.S.,” said Michael H. Goodstein, MD, neonatologist and medical director of research at Cribs for Kids®. “We know that consistent education can have a profound effect on infant mortality, and this program is designed to encourage safe sleep education and to recognize those hospitals that are taking an active role in reducing these preventable deaths.” This program is well-aligned with the Maternal Child Health Bureau's vision of reducing infant mortality through the promotion of infant sleep safety as outlined in the Infant Mortality Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network (COIIN) Initiative. Forty states have designated SIDS/SUID/SRD as their emphasis to reduce infant mortality.
“Nicklaus Children's is honored to be recognized as a Certified Safe Sleep Hospital,” said Carolyn Domina, Director of the Maternal Fetal Program at Nicklaus Children's. “As the region’s pediatric care leader, we are committed to the well-being of children from birth through adulthood. Conveying to staff and parents the importance of safe sleep practices is an essential part of our safety advocacy.”
The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created in partnership with leading infant health and safety organizations such as All Baby & Child, The National Center for the Review & Prevention of Child Deaths, Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs, Kids in Danger, Children's Safety Network, American SIDS Institute, Charlie’s Kids, CJ Foundation for SIDS, and numerous state American Academy of Pediatrics chapters and health departments.
According to Judith A. Bannon, Executive Director and Founder for Cribs for Kids®, “The program kicked off in June of 2015 in Pittsburgh, PA, home of the Cribs for Kids® national headquarters. Hundreds of participating hospitals across the United States, including Quebec Canada, have already achieved the ‘Gold Champion’ status, or are working their way toward it. This will have a profound effect on the number of babies’ lives that will be saved.”
About Cribs for Kids
Cribs for Kids is a national infant safe-sleep education program that helps to reduce the risk of injury and death of infants due to accidental suffocation, asphyxia, or undetermined causes in unsafe sleeping environments. Since 1998, Cribs for Kids has been making an impact on reducing the rate of infant sleep-related deaths by educating parents and caregivers on the importance of practicing safe sleep and providing portable cribs to families who otherwise cannot afford a safe place for their babies to sleep. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Cribs for Kids currently has over 1450 partners throughout the United States implementing infant safe-sleep programs in their communities. Visit https://cribsforkids.org/ for more information.