Blogs

CPSC Tips to Create Safe Sleep Space for Babies During the Holidays

With the holidays fast approaching, families nationwide are preparing to travel and gather with loved ones to celebrate. Parents are busy planning travel routes, gift shopping, food prepping, and so on, but it’s important to take a moment to consider your baby’s sleeping space. If you plan on staying elsewhere this holiday season, be mindful and proactive with your infant’s sleeping arrangements. Infants require specific sleeping parameters to ensure their health and safety. Sadly, improper sleep spaces have resulted in the death and injury of innocent babies. To avoid tragedy this holiday season, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has released recommendations and reminders so families can create a safe sleeping environment for infants.  

Unsuitable Sleeping Environments Have Killed and Injured Infants

Becoming a parent is a rewarding but challenging endeavor. Keeping track of all the needs and rules that accompany an infant is exhausting. While families do their best to abide by advice from healthcare providers and regulators, sometimes unexpected hurdles present themselves. 

For instance, inclined infant sleepers have caused irreparable damage to families. The CPSC has issued several recalls for infant sleepers that possess a 10-to-30-degree angle. Infants who fall asleep on inclined surfaces are prone to suffocating due to blocked airways or rolling onto their stomachs. One infamous angled sleeper was the Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper, which allegedly caused the deaths of over 30 infants. The soft padding and inclined angle increased the risk of suffocation in babies, which led to the company’s massive recall in 2019. 

CPSC Safe Infant Sleep Space Recommendations for the Holidays

In an October 2022 survey, roughly 47% of Americans plan to travel for the holidays. Taking an infant on a long car journey or plane ride can be stressful in and of itself. However, arriving at your destination is only half the battle. 

Whether you are staying at your relative’s home or an unfamiliar hotel, it’s necessary to design an appropriate spot for your baby to sleep. According to the November 2022 CPSC nursery product injury and death report, most nursery-product infant deaths occur in a cluttered sleep space. The CPSC has outlined several reminders for caregivers to make a safe infant sleeping space:

1. Always place the baby to sleep on their back to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected infant death syndrome (SUID/SIDS) and suffocation.
2. Always keep the baby’s sleep space bare (fitted sheet only) to prevent suffocation. Do not use pillows, padded crib bumpers, quilts, or comforters.  
3. Transfer the baby to a firm, flat crib, bassinet, play yard, or bedside sleeper if they fall asleep in a swing, bouncer, lounger, or similar product. 
4. Inclined products, such as rockers, gliders, soothers, and swings should never be used for infant sleep, and infants should not be left in these products unsupervised, unrestrained, or with soft bedding material, due to the risk of suffocation.