VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) -- Beginning in June, every child born at South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC) will be given a gown with the message "This Side Up" stitched on it to teach parents the dangers of babies not sleeping properly.
In addition to "This Side Up" gowns, parents may be able to get their own travel bassinet for their newborn (if uninsured or under Medicaid), as well as a book describing safety tips for sleeping infants.
SGMC wants to bring an end to a startling trend. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, every week, three babies in the Peach State die to preventable sleep-related causes. The state has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the U.S. and the Medical Center wants to make sure that the 2,000 newborns they receive each year, don't contribute to that number.
Led in part by Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal, the initiative follows the "ABC's of Safe Sleep", suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
A - Alone. Babies should sleep alone in their own sleep space, near their caregiver, but in a separate spot.
B - Back. Babies must be placed on their back anytime they go to sleep.
C - Cribs. Cribs or bassinets that are firm with no extra padding are recommended.
"If they [babies] sleep on their stomachs, if they've been placed on their abdomens or if they've been placed in swings or chairs, or even co-sleeping with parents, they run the risk of something coming close to their nose and they can't open their mouth to breathe like we would," said Cathy Swilley, Associate Inpatient Unit Director at SGMC.
In addition to flat cribs or bassinets, experts say keep extra blankets, toys and crib bumpers away when your baby is sleeping.
