Promoting Safe Sleep
Figure: The percentage of new mothers who followed the four most discussed safe sleep behavior recommendations, i.e., How often has your baby slept alone in their crib or bed, which one position do you most often lay your baby down to sleep, did your baby usually sleep in a crib, bassinet, or pack and play, and when your baby sleeps alone in their own crib, are they in the same room where you sleep?
Data Source: NM Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
How is New Mexico Doing?
In 2022, over 80% of mothers reported putting their babies to sleep on their back and in an approved sleep surface (crib, bassinet, pack and play) and over 90% of mothers had their babies room in with them. However, less than half of mothers had their babies sleeping alone.
How does New Mexico compare to the nation?
New Mexico is above the national average for putting their babies to sleep on their back (83.9% v. 82.3%) and having the baby sleep in the same room as the mother (91.6% v. 84.2%). New Mexico is just below the national average for putting their babies to sleep in a crib, bassinet, or pack and play (85.3% v. 91.2%) but quite is bit lower than the national average for putting their babies to sleep alone (48.4% v. 60.3%).
What does this mean?
Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is the most common case of infant death for infants 28-365 days old. SUID is not entirely preventable but the risk of SUID can be reduced by multiple strategies including safe sleep recommendations employed by caregivers that were developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force on SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). The recommendations that infants sleep alone without any soft objects with them, are put to sleep on their backs, are put to sleep in a crib, bassinet, or pack and play, and that the infant sleeps in the same room as their caregiver without bed sharing are considered the best ways to lower the risk of SUID.
Figure: The percentage of new mothers who put their babies to sleep with a blanket and the percentages of mothers who put their baby to sleep wearing a sleep sack or wearable blanket.
Data Source: NM Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
How is New Mexico Doing?
Since 2017, New Mexico mothers have decreased the use of blankets in their baby’s sleep environment from 67.7% to 50.3% and increased the use of a sleep sack or wearable blanket from 24.1% to 39.0%.
How does New Mexico compare to the nation?
New Mexico is above the national average for putting their babies to sleep with a blanket (50.3% v. 36.0%). New Mexico is below the national average for putting the baby to sleep wearing a sleep sack or wearable blanket (39.0% v. 49.0%).
What does this mean?
Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is the most common case of infant death for infants 28-365 days old. SUID is not entirely preventable but the risk of SUID can be reduced by multiple strategies including safe sleep recommendations employed by caregivers that were developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force on SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Blankets or quilts can block an infant’s airway leading to unintentional sleep-related suffocation and can also lead to overheating which increases the risk of SUID. The proper use of a sleep sack or wearable blanket may lower the risk of SUID by reducing the risk of airway obtruction.