Safe Sleep for Baby

Source: Newborn Care Class

A safe sleep area for baby is not an option, it should be every parent's priority. Sudden Infant Death (SID) is the leading cause of death among the newborn to 1 year old child. The fact is, SID is unpredictable, but here's some safety procedure we can do to reduce the risk.

- the best sleep position for babies is on their back.

- choose for the firm surface / mattress; soft bedding might might cause suffocation hazard.

- do not overheat; easy on the heater.

- check baby's hand and feet for temperature, it should be around 98.6 degree Fahrenheit / 37 degree Celsius, around the same with our own.

- to avoid of being overheated, do not put a hat on baby when they sleep.

- using a fan is helping create a good air circulation for the room

- Pacifier is safe even when baby is sleeping, but not recommended for the first month of babies that breastfeed.

- air conditioner is OK for babies.

- soft bedding is suffocation & chocking hazard. they are -but not limited to- : pillow, bumper, stuffed animals. ----> quite surprising to me!! I always though that bumper is a must... ;p
the rails on baby cribs that passed the safety inspection should be close together, therefore, there's no need to use bumpers, there's no way the baby will slipped out of their crib.

- NO loose blanket or comforter; they are tangling hazard for the newborn.

- swaddle your newborn on their crib, choose thinner material during Summer.

- what should be on the crib = firm mattress + fitted sheet + swaddled baby. nothing else.

- keep it as simple (or boring ) as possible to reduce the suffocation, choking and tangling hazard.