Unsafe sleep is the number one cause of child deaths in Florida. That’s prompted an ongoing state campaign to prevent such deaths. And, one organization has more tips for parents and caregivers about their child’s sleeping conditions.
When Nancy Peck had her first child, she recalls she couldn’t even find her baby in the crib.
“There were so many bumper pads and stuffed animals, and we had the little things around the crib, and that’s just what we did,” she said. “And, they still sell them at the toy store, and when you go to baby showers, people are still giving the bumper pads and the blankets and all of that, but it’s unsafe.”
Now, Peck says she counsels parents and prospective parents about the right way for babies to sleep.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics says that babies should be in their crib alone with nothing other than their jammies, just babies and their beds. And, in fact, their safest in their mother’s room for the first year of their life,” she added.
Her organization—Healthy Families Florida—is a home visiting parent support program with the ultimate goal of preventing child abuse and neglect.
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