Baby Safe Sleep North Carolina is a program that helps inform parents and families about safe sleep practices for babies. This program encourages families to use safe sleep practices (put baby on their back for sleep, use a firm sleeping surface, do not use alcohol and other substances that can cause impairment, etc). These safe sleep practices can help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and prevent infant sleep-related deaths such as accidental infant suffocation. When implementing this program, health care professionals ask open-ended questions and respectfully share information, working to make sure that families feel valued rather than judged. 

Baby Safe Sleep NC is a program of the UNC Center for Maternal and Infant Health. Contact Megan Canady at megancanady@med.unc.edu for more information about safe sleep training, technical support, and resources.

The health department provides the Baby’s Easy Safe Sleep program, reaching 284 participants over the past year. The safe sleep program is designed for expecting mothers, as well as mothers and care givers of children under the age of 1. The program educates on the importance of back to sleep and SIDS prevention.