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Safe Sleep Outreach

Since 2015, Alabama has been collaborating with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), to provide safe sleep education at the community level using the Safe to Sleep Campaign Resources and the American Academy of Pediatrics 2016 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment.

Historically, Alabama has one the highest infant mortality rates in the country. Sleep related infant deaths are always one of the top three leading contributors of death to infants in Alabama. In 2017, 111 infants died before their first birthday from Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). This accounted for 25.5 percent of the total infant mortality rate in 2017.

Since the inception of the Alabama safe Sleep Outreach Projetc, 75 organizations have been awarded grant funding to support community level education and support by:

  • Increasing public awareness about the SUID.
  • Teaching ways to create safe sleep environments that reduce risk factors for SUID.
  • Emphasizing outreach efforts to high risk communities.

NICHD will continue to collaborate with Alabama to address infant sleep related deaths in 2019. The Framework ror activities include:

  • Site Application and Baseline Operations
  • Alabama Hot Spot Areas
  • Delivering Hospitals
  • Community Providers
  • Social Outreach

2017-2018 Alabama Safe Sleep Outreach Project Grant Recipients

Revised Nurses Continuing Education Program on Safe Infant Sleep Now Available

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death among infants between one month and one year of age. Even though there is no known way to prevent SIDS, there are ways parents and caregivers can reduce their babies' risks for SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death.

Nurses play a critical role in communicating risk-reduction techniques, especially in hospital settings. To ensure that nurses have the most current and accurate information, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has revised its Continuing Education (CE) Activity on Risk Reduction for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Other Sleep-Related Causes of Infant Death: Curriculum for Nurses.

This free continuing education activity for nurses was approved by the Maryland Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Nurses who successfully complete it will earn 1.1 contact hours of continuing education credit.

Get this life-saving information today. Visit the NICHD to access the online activity.

Grant Recipient Resources

Final Grantee Presentations





Page last updated: December 7, 2021