By Tim Mastro

LEWES — Beebe Healthcare was recently recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as a Gold Safe Sleep Champion — its highest designation.

The certification was awarded for commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep. It is Beebe’s second five-year designation.

The program was created by Cribs for Kids, the only national infant safe-sleep organization. Based in Pittsburgh, the group is dedicated to preventing infant sleep-related deaths due to accidental suffocation.

Sleep-related deaths result in the loss of more than 3,500 infants every year nationwide, according to Cribs for Kids. Delaware sees an average of one to two unsafe-sleeping deaths each month, said Bridget Buckaloo, executive director of women’s health at Beebe.

“The tragedy of this is unspeakable, and even more compelling is that these unsafe-sleeping deaths are 100% preventable,” she said. “We do not want any of our Beebe babies, nor their families, to have to have that experience.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends several guidelines for safe sleeping, such as infants being placed for sleep wholly on their backs every time by every caregiver, until the child reaches age 1. Sleeping on the side is not advised for babies.

Infants should also be placed on a firm sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib covered by a fitted sheet, with no other bedding or soft objects. These items should be kept away from the child’s sleep area to reduce risk of suffocation, entrapment and strangulation.

Caregivers should also avoid overheating and head coverings in babies.

AAP also recommends that infants sleep in parents’ rooms, close to their beds but on separate surfaces designed for infants. This should ideally be done for the first year of life but at least for the first six months.

As a nationally certified Safe Sleep Hospital, Beebe is recognized for following these guidelines from AAP and providing training for team members and family caregivers.

“This recognition is a testament to our commitment to keeping all babies safe, and this aligns with our hospital value to ‘do what it takes to keep everyone safe,’” Ms. Buckaloo said. “The safe-sleep message is so important, and our team takes it very seriously. Everyone is committed to providing safe-sleep education to our patients and families, ensuring a safe-sleep environment in the hospital, and role modeling safe-sleeping behaviors while patients/families are in our care.”

Beebe joined hundreds of hospitals across the United States with the gold certification.

“We welcome Beebe Healthcare to this expanding group of committed hospitals,” said Judith A. Bannon, executive director and founder of Cribs for Kids. “This will have a profound effect on saving babies’ lives.”