Infant Sleep Safety

Every year in the U.S., there are approximately 3,500 infant sleep-related deaths due to accidental suffocation, strangulation, or undetermined causes during sleep. Sleep-related infant death is a leading cause of death among infants less than one year of age in Michigan. We want you to know what you can do to keep your baby safe after you head home from the hospital.

Bronson is committed to reducing infant sleep-related deaths by promoting best safe sleep practices and education on infant sleep safety. Our safe sleep program is well-aligned with Cradle Kalamazoo and other initiatives throughout the region that are working to reduce infant mortality through the promotion of infant sleep safety.

Safe Sleep Practices

Safe sleep practices that families, such as yours, should practice in the home follow the ABCs for Alone, on their Back and in a Crib:

- Always put your baby to sleep on his or her back on a flat, firm surface, like a crib mattress covered with a tightly fitted sheet.

- Use only the mattress made for your baby's crib.

- The mattress should be fit snugly in the crib so there are no spaces between the mattress and the crib frame.

- The mattress shape should stay firm even when covered with a tightly fitted sheet or mattress cover.

- Keep cribs empty of bumpers, pads, toys and blankets.

Educational Resources

We encourage you and your baby's care providers to watch these educational videos:

• Learn more about how to keep your baby safe while sleeping
• Learn how your baby can avoid choking in their sleep

We also offer a free safe sleep class. By attending our "Baby Safety" class, you will learn more about risks related to sleep environments for babies.

Safe Sleep Certification

Bronson Methodist Hospital and Bronson Battle Creek achieved safe sleep certification from the Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program. This program recognizes hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to reducing infant sleep-related deaths by promoting best safe sleep practices and educating on infant sleep safety. By becoming certified, a hospital is demonstrating that it is committed to being a community leader and is proactively eliminating as many sleep-related deaths as possible.

Need a Provider?

If you need a provider for your baby, we also have pediatricians and family medicine providers who are accepting new patients.