Know the dangers of unsafe infant sleep

In the Tampa Bay area alone, nearly 140 infants died of preventable sleep-related causes over the last five years (2012-2016). Each of these unsafe sleep deaths was preventable.

Co-sleeping, which means having babies sleep in the same bed as parents, siblings or caregivers, is often the cause of sleep-related infant death. In fact, more infants die in adult beds than anywhere else, and infants are 40 times more likely to die in an adult bed than in their own crib.

When co-sleeping, a baby may suffocate if an adult unintentionally rolls on top of them or if the baby is positioned against a pillow or under a blanket. Infants can’t roll away or move their heads because they lack the muscle strength to move their head if something is blocking their airway. Pillow-top mattresses, comforters, fluffy pillows, blankets, sleep positioning tools and stuffed animals are a danger to infants in adult beds, as well as in cribs.

Read more tips for safe sleep in Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles.