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Safe Sleep Program

Unsafe sleeping environments cause more than 150 infant deaths in Texas each year. Infant and child deaths are preventable by following recommendations on establishing a safe sleep environment.

Protect your child with these safe sleep practices:


  • From day one, children need a protected space to sleep. A crib with a tightly fitting sheet and slat width no larger than a soda can (2-3/8 inches) is ideal.
  • Refrain from placing additional items such as bumpers, pillows, stuffed animals and loose blankets in the crib with a sleeping child.
  • Keep baby's room cool, about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and take care to not dress an infant too warmly.
  • The risk of suffocation is 40 percent greater for infants sleeping in an adult bed. Refrain from placing child in bed with an older sibling or an adult. Other unsafe environments include armchairs, couches and waterbeds.


The ABCs of Safe Sleep:


To reduce the risk of suffocation for an infant in your care, always put the child to sleep:
  • Alone
  • on his or her Back
  • in a Crib that meets standards for safety

"Before they are released from the hospital, new parents are instructed about safe sleep practices, along with CPR and car safety seat verification," says Janet Pointer, R.N., trauma coordinator at Driscoll Children's Hospital. "Uneducated parents and caregivers may not realize their behavior can put their infants at risk. Sleep-related deaths in infants are preventable when infants are consistently placed in safe sleep environments."

Safe sleep education alone can reduce the number of sudden, unexpected infant deaths in the U.S. by as much as 50 percent.

Additional Resources:


In the State of Texas, the Department of Family and Protective Services has launched a public awareness campaign statewide titled Room to Breathe, using radio and television for the next three months to educate parents and caregivers about sudden, unexpected infant death and the importance of always giving babies "Room to Breathe". The impact of their video and radio advertisement relays a strong message. There website address is www.BabyRoomToBreathe.org. It is also in Spanish on their website at www.BebeEspacioParaRespirar.org.

For more information and to receive a free magnet, call the Injury Prevention Department at (361) 694-6700.



Contact Information

Driscoll Children's Hospital
Safe Sleep Program
3533 S. Alameda Street
Corpus Christi, Texas 78411

For more information call: (361) 694-6700 or toll free (866) 886-5957.

(361) 694-5000
(800) DCH-LOVE or (800) 324-5683

For TTY Deaf Messaging Connect to TTY Interpretation by dialing
(800) 735-2989
Click here to download
"Helping Baby Back to Sleep"

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