National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program Recognizes Nicklaus Children’s Hospital

Published on: 07/24/2024

Nicklaus Children's Hospital was recently recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital as a "gold certified" hospital for their commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep.

The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created by Cribs for Kids^®, a national infant safe sleep organization. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Cribs for Kids is dedicated to preventing infant sleep-related deaths due to SUID and accidental suffocation. As a Nationally Certified Safe Sleep Hospital, Nicklaus Children's Hospital is recognized for following the safe sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and providing training programs for healthcare team members, and family caregivers.

"Sleep-Related Death (SRD) results in the loss of more than 3,500 infants every year in the U.S.," said Michael H. Goodstein, M.D., neonatologist and medical director of research at Cribs for Kids^®. "We know that modeling safe infant sleep in the hospital and providing education to families has a significant effect on infant mortality. Cribs for Kids Hospital Certification Program is designed to recognize those hospitals that are taking an active role in reducing these preventable deaths."

"As a leader in providing pediatric care across South Florida, Nicklaus Children's is continuously educating parents and guardians on safe sleep practices for infants," Perry Ann Reed, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Nicklaus Children's Health System, and president of Nicklaus Children's Hospital. "We are honored to once again be recognized as a Certified Safe Sleep Hospital by the Cribs for Kids organization. This recognition is a testament to our commitment of promoting the importance of sleep safety to our patient families and staff."

The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created in partnership with leading infant health and safety organizations such as All Baby & Child, The National Center for the Review & Prevention of Child Deaths, Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs, Kids in Danger, Children's Safety Network, American SIDS Institute, Charlie's Kids, CJ Foundation for SIDS, and numerous state American Academy of Pediatric chapters and health departments.

According to Judith A. Bannon, Executive Director and Founder for Cribs for Kids®, "The certification program launched in 2015 in Pittsburgh, PA, home of the Cribs for Kids® national headquarters. Hundreds of hospitals across the US are certified. We welcome Nicklaus Children's Hospital to this expanding group of committed hospitals. This will have a profound effect on saving babies' lives."

For more information on the Cribs for Kids^® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program, visit https://cribsforkids.org/hospitalcertification.

About Cribs for Kids

Cribs for Kids is a national infant safe-sleep education program that helps to reduce the risk of injury and death of infants due to accidental suffocation, asphyxia, or undetermined causes in unsafe sleeping environments. Since 1998, Cribs for Kids has been making an impact on reducing the rate of infant sleep-related deaths by educating parents and caregivers on the importance of practicing safe sleep and providing portable cribs to families who otherwise cannot afford a safe place for their babies to sleep. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Cribs for Kids currently has over 1450 partners throughout the United States implementing infant safe-sleep programs in their communities. Visit https://cribsforkids.org/ for more information.