Safe Sleep Missouri

What is safe sleep?

Babies sleep safest Alone, on their Backs, in a Crib for nighttime, nap time and every time. 

Sleep-related infant death is the leading cause of infant mortality from one month to one year of age.

Sleep-related infant death can result from unintentional suffocation/strangulation. The best way to prevent sleep-related deaths is for all parents and caregivers to provide a safe sleeping environment for infants.

Safe Sleep should not be confused with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Sleep related deaths are almost entirely preventable; true SIDS deaths are not. With continued education we are learning that many infant deaths that would have previously been identified as SIDS are now being determined as sleep-related deaths.

To prevent sleep related infant deaths, practice your ABC’s for every sleep.

What does safe sleep look like?

Alone

alone

babies should always sleep alone without anyone or anything in the sleep space

Back

back

back to sleep for every sleep…night time, nap time, every time

Crib

crib

place baby in a crib, bassinet or portable play area with a firm sleep surface and fitted sheet

Unsafe Sleep Statistics 2022

74
of all non-medical related infant deaths involved the infant’s sleep environment
103
infant sleep-related deaths
64
were sleeping in an adult bed
8
were not in the care of parents