University Healthcare Medical Centers Participating In Say YES To Safe Sleep For Babies Campaign

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. – University Healthcare Berkeley Medical Center and Jefferson Medical Center are two of sixteen hospitals in West Virginia participating in a new, innovative educational program to reduce the risk of injury or death of infants while sleeping.

The program, Say YES to Safe Sleep for Babies, is in response to the fact that the leading cause of injury-related death for WV infants under age 1 is suffocation and strangulation in an adult bed or other unsafe sleep surface.  According to the WV Child Fatality Review Team, 37 infant deaths in 2013 were attributed to unsafe sleep practices.  

“Berkeley Medical Center is participating in the Safe Sleep For Babies Campaign so that we can assist in increasing the visibility and delivery of consistent infant safe sleep messages to our expectant parents, other family members, and the community,” stated Clarise Ottley, PhD, RNC-MNN, nursing director of the Mother/Baby Unit. “We also want to educate our families and the public of the importance of adopting infant safe sleep practices and ways to prevent injury and death of babies associated with unsafe sleep practices,” she added.   

Jefferson Medical Center is also participating in the Safe Sleep For Babies Program. “We are participating because we want to ensure the safety of all babies by helping to improve their sleep conditions and provide education to parents and their families on safe sleep,” stated Megan Nesslerodt, RN, clinical coordinator for the obstetrics unit at Jefferson Medical Center.

The project is based primarily on the successes of an infant safe sleep program at York Hospitals in Pennsylvania.  In West Virginia, the program is referred to as Our Babies: Safe & Sound and TEAM for WV Children.

The Say YES to Safe Sleep for Babies program uses a systemic hospital-based approach in conjunction with community-based reinforcement to educate parents of newborns about infant safe sleep at a time when families are responsive to receiving information.  

All newborn babies born at Berkeley Medical Center will receive a HALO® SleepSack Wearable Blanket while a patient in the hospital, and to take home when discharged.  These SleepSacks will replace the traditional hospital blankets in an effort to model a safe, blanket-free alternative for parents, while assisting in reducing the number of newborn deaths associated with unsafe sleep practices and environments.  

The HALO® SleepSack Wearable Blankets are being provided to all newborns courtesy of the Berkeley Medical Center Auxiliary.  The Auxiliary is also funding SleepSacks for babies in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

As part of the Say YES to Safe Sleep for Babies, hospitals provide “Dose I” education to the parents following the birth of their babies and prior to discharge. After discharge from the hospital, home visitation programs provide “Dose II” to reinforce the education.  The program hopes to reach 100% of the birthing population over the next several years.

West Virginia First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin serves as an ambassador of the program and has conducted hospital tours to increase awareness about infant safe sleep practices.  She will be in Martinsburg on September 23 to serve as the guest speaker for an Infant Safe Sleep Month event hosted by Berkeley Medical Center.

For more information about infant safe sleep practices, visit www.safesoundbabies.com.