Gordon Hospital designated a Georgia Safe to Sleep Hospital

Launched by the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Safe to Sleep initiative was created to decrease the number of sleep-related infant deaths.

The goal of Georgias Safe to Sleep initiative is to educate mothers, fathers, grandparents and caregivers about the importance of putting babies to sleep following the ABCs of Safe Sleep as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Georgia has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country. Sleep-related infant deaths occur suddenly, but parents and caregivers can reduce the risk of these tragic deaths by following the ABCs of safe sleep.

• Alone Babies should sleep alone in their own sleep space, close to but separate from their caregiver.
• Back Babies should be placed on their back to sleep. Every nap. Every sleep. Every time.
• Crib Babies should sleep in a crib or bassinet with a firm, flat surface with no extra things such as crib bumpers, blankets, or toys.

To be designated as a Georgia Safe to Sleep Hospital, all staff must be extensively trained in SIDs prevention and the ABC safety message. In addition, random crib audits must be performed to ensure staff recognizes risk factors that could contribute to a SIDs event. At a Georgia Safe to Sleep hospital, parents are instructed on the importance of room sharing instead of co-sleeping, and they are sent home with safety items to reiterate this message, which includes a travel bassinet.

The Baby Place at Gordon Hospital has completed the required training and was recently designated as a Safe to Sleep facility. The Baby Place has pledged to model safe sleep behaviors by ensuring that parents of newborns, their families, and caregivers are educated on and have the resources to create safe sleep environments for their babies before they leave the hospital.

It is exciting to be part of an initiative that can make a difference in the quality of life in the families that choose to deliver at Gordon Hospital, said Reatha Clary, director of The Baby Place. To prevent even one sleep-related infant death is a major motivator for this education and change in practice.

About Gordon Hospital

Founded in 1935, Gordon Hospital is proud to be a member of Adventist Health System. With 45 hospital campuses and more than 8,300 licensed beds in nine states, Adventist Health System is a faith-based healthcare organization headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Florida. A national leader in quality, safety, and patient satisfaction, Adventist Health Systems more than 80,000 employees maintain a tradition of whole-person health by caring for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of every patient. Each Adventist Health System facility operates independently in delivering care and services to best meet the needs of the local communities they serve. While each entity is unique, all remain united in one mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ.