So, like, the Trump administration has decided to cancel its participation in the Safe to Sleep program, which has been going on for 30 years to prevent babies from, you know, dying in their sleep. Apparently, this move comes at a time when the number of sleep-related deaths among babies is actually on the rise, which is not really a good thing.
According to, uh, some study published in JAMA Pediatrics, sudden infant death rates have gone up by almost 12% between 2020 and 2022. That’s pretty concerning if you ask me. Alison Jacobson, who is the CEO of First Candle, a nonprofit that has been working with the government on Safe to Sleep, thinks that getting rid of this program is absolutely devastating. And I mean, I can see why she feels that way.
So, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) used to be in charge of running this whole shebang, but the communications office that was handling Safe to Sleep got axed on April 1. Christina Stile, who used to be the deputy director of that office, said that this move basically ended the NIH’s involvement and support for the program. Diana W. Bianchi, the former director of the NIH, was one of the people who got put on administrative leave in April. When asked for confirmation, the acting director, Alison Cernich, just directed questions to the main NIH press office. Real helpful, right?
Now, the NICHD’s role in the campaign was to spread the word about safe sleep practices to, like, everyone. They used recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to create materials like pamphlets for doctors’ offices and posts on social media. Stile mentioned that the nonprofit partners are doing important work, but it’s gonna be tough to fill the void left by the NICHD.
First Candle, which has been part of Safe to Sleep since day one, is planning to keep the campaign going without the feds. Jacobson from First Candle hopes that other organizations will step up to educate families and caregivers about safe sleep because, you know, they can’t do it all on their own without that sweet government budget.
The Safe to Sleep campaign actually started in 1994, back when it was known as Back to Sleep. It focused on raising awareness about SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome. With more education and parents being told to have their babies sleep on their backs, the number of SIDS cases dropped a lot. In 2009, there were only 2,226 cases, compared to a whopping 4,073 in 1994. That’s a big difference, if you ask me.
In 2012, the NICHD expanded the campaign and changed the name to Safe to Sleep to cover a wider range of unexpected infant deaths, not just SIDS. These deaths can happen when babies are in an unsafe sleeping environment, like sharing a bed with parents or being in a crib that’s not up to safety standards. By broadening the focus, the agency was able to promote safer sleep practices in general.
Despite all these efforts, sleep-related infant deaths have been going up in recent years. Along with the 12% increase in SUID cases from 2020 to 2022, accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, which is a type of SUID, has been on the rise since 1995. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, things are not looking too good in the baby sleep department.
So, yeah, it looks like the government pulling out of the Safe to Sleep program is a pretty big deal, especially with the numbers going in the wrong direction. Hopefully, other organizations can step up and fill the gap left by the feds. Let’s keep those babies safe, people.
