they should never sleep with blankets – Telemundo New York (47)

New York City reminds parents and infant caregivers that children age 1 and younger should never sleep with blankets or beds, the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) said Tuesday. The recommendation was made Tuesday amid dangerous freezing temperatures, the coldest of the season so far.

The agency recalls that there is a serious danger associated with babies under one year of age sleeping with their parents in adult beds, or sleeping with blankets or duvets, which can create a risk of suffocation. To keep babies warm and safe, parents and caregivers are encouraged to dress babies in an extra layer of infant clothing or a wearable blanket, such as a sleeping bag.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to learn that babies should sleep: alone, on their back, in a safety-approved crib.

Parents should also remember the following five things during winter:

• Avoid putting the baby in the adult’s bed, even if you think it will keep him warmer. A baby should never sleep in an adult bed, sofa, or chair with anyone. Babies can suffocate if someone else accidentally rolls on them or covers their nose and mouth.
• Keep soft objects, loose bedding, or anything else that may increase the risk of suffocation out of your baby’s sleeping area.
• When you are concerned that a baby is cold, dress him in a wearable blanket, such as a sleeping bag, or another layer of infant clothing.
• Place babies on their backs to sleep. Babies breathe better on their backs than on their stomach or side.
• Put babies to sleep on a flat, firm surface with a fitted sheet made for that specific product. Although it may seem more comfortable to put a pillow on top of the mattress, babies can suffocate on the soft surface.

For more information on safe baby sleep best practices or resources in your community you can visit www.nyc.gov/safesleep or call 311 and ask for Safe Sleep.

About 40 or more babies die each year in New York City from choking and other preventable sleep-related injuries. A sleep-related injury death is the sudden death of a baby under the age of 1 that occurs because of where and / or the way they were placed to sleep. Death from sleep-related injuries to children is not the same as SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) or “cradle death.” SIDS is the natural death of a baby that cannot be explained after a careful medical review of the case. Unlike SIDS, childhood sleep-related injury deaths involve accidents that can be explained and are mostly preventable.

“With freezing weather upon us, we want to help baby caregivers learn the best way to put their babies to sleep in a way that keeps them safe and warm,” said ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. “With the best of intentions to keep our dear little ones warm, we may accidentally put them in danger. We remind parents and caregivers that babies should sleep alone, on their backs, and in their own cribs without blankets or other items. “