Inova Promotes Safe Sleep for Infants

Inova follows the American Academy of Pediatrics Safe Sleep recommendations. Our team takes steps to promote safe sleep for infants both in the hospital and at home:

1. Use of appropriately sized bassinets and cribs in the hospital
2. Infant sleeping space free of soft items
3. Babies on their backs, unless other positions are medically necessary
4. Picture examples of safe and unsafe sleep positions in both English and Spanish in infant sleep spaces
5. Annual training for team members on safe sleep recommendation
6. Parent and caregiver education on safe sleep guidelines for the home

Inova Hospitals Earn Silver Level Safe Sleep Certification

Inova Alexandria Hospital, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital and Inova Loudoun Hospital were recently recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as Silver level 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 Nationally Certified Safe Sleep Hospitals, the Inova hospitals are 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, MD, 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."