Wood County Hospital Joins "Safe Sleep is Good4Baby" Campaign

Wood County Hospital is proud to join the Ohio Hospital Association’s statewide initiative – “Safe Sleep is Good4Baby.” Ohio has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the nation, ranked 47th with a rate of 7.6 in 2012. Every week in Ohio, 3 babies die in unsafe sleep environments. These deaths don’t have to happen! Learn why it’s safest for baby to follow the ABCs of safe sleep — Alone. Back. Crib. Every baby, every sleep!

“Although many organizations have been working tirelessly to improve the statewide rate, Ohio continues to fall behind nationally,” said Mike Abrams, OHA president and CEO. “As healthcare leaders in our communities, hospitals are ideal partners to help address this issue in a coordinated and targeted way.” Many factors influence infant mortality, but in Ohio each year more than 150 incidents are sleep-related (including SIDS, accidental suffication, positional asphyxia, overlay and undetermined causes). The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Ohio Department of Health recommend that all infants sleep alone, on their backs and in a crib–every time they are placed to sleep — to avoid these unfortunate tragedies.

Ohio’s hospitals have a unique opportunity to reach the parents of nearly 140,000 newborns every year with educational messages about the importance of providing a safe sleeping environment. taking advantage of this opportunity, OHA is kicking off ane exciting initiative, Safe Sleep is Good4Baby, to draw attention to the vital part that safe sleep plays in reducing Ohio’s infant mortality rate, and educacte parents, caregivers and the community about the importance of providing safe sleep environments for infants.

As a participant of the campaign, Wood County Hospital’s Family Birthing Center will be taking the following steps beginning July 14, 2014:

Modeling safe sleep practices in the hospital;

All newborns, unless otherwise requested by their parents will be dressed in a HALO SleepSack Swaddle wearable blanket which replaces the traditional blankets and placed in the crib, alone and on their back;

Counseling new parents and families about a safe sleep environment, and providing parents with a safe sleep diaper bag, sleeper, board book and educational materials prior to their hospital discharge;

Advocating and educating in the community about the importance of safe sleep — several obstetrics nurses will be contacting nurseries and day care centers in Wood County about Safe Sleep. They will also provide educational materials to individuals who participate in the Safe Sitter babysitting classes. Expecting parents who attend the Baby Care Basic classes at WCH will be instructed about Safe Sleep. The Wood County Hospital Gift Shop will be selling HALO SleepSack Swaddle wearable blankets.