Infant Safe Sleep Public Awareness Campaign

Columbus Public Health

Infant Safe Sleep Infant Safe Sleep Overview
Awareness Campaign
Cribs For Kids Program
Campaign Materials
Resources and Links
Safe Sleep Task Force
Infant Mortality

Contact

614-645-5872

Infant Safe Sleep Public Awareness Campaign

Background

The Greater Columbus Infant Mortality Task Force outlined eight key recommendations to reduce the infant mortality rate in Franklin County. Of those recommendations, the Task Force charged Columbus Public Health (CPH) with reducing sleep-related infant deaths through implementing a comprehensive public awareness campaign with the goal of improving safe sleep practices.

The latest sleep-related infant death report shows 67 sleep-related deaths in Franklin County from 2012-2014. This means that on average one baby dies every other week. Furthermore, the report shows that most of these infant deaths are preventable. 89 percent of babies who died while sleeping were either not alone, not on their backs, or not in a crib.

CPH implemented a safe sleep campaign in 2014 in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health and funding from the Central Benefits Foundation. This safe sleep campaign raised awareness about the ABCs of Safe Sleep.

The 2015 mass media campaign builds upon this foundation and takes it to the next level through intensifying the call to action to follow the ABCs of Safe Sleep. The goal is to establish the ABCs as the best practice and social norm in Franklin County to ultimately reduce the many preventable infant sleep-related deaths.

Campaign Development

The 2015 Infant Safe Sleep Campaign is grounded in infant safe sleep best practices, health communication theories and community input (via community meetings and focus groups). From this foundation, CPH created an impactful campaign to capture attention and show the tragic reality of sleep-related deaths in our community. The goal is to motivate the community to think about infant sleep practices and remember the ABCs when putting babies to sleep.

Why the ABC’s?

Alone: 2 out of 3 babies who died while sleeping were sharing an adult bed, couch or chair. Share the room, not the bed.
Back: Babies who sleep on their backs are less likely to choke than those who sleep on their stomachs.
Crib: Empty cribs are safest, using a firm mattress and fitted sheet. No bumper pads, pillows, blankets or stuffed animals, or else babies may suffocate or strangle themselves.