A recent study, conducted by Dr. Rachel Moon at the Children’s National Medical Center and published in Pediatrics, found that in magazines targeting women of childbearing age, more than one-third showed babies in unsafe sleep positions and more than two thirds showed babies in unsafe sleep environments.Messages in the media that are inconsistent with health care messages can create confusion and misinformation about infant sleep safety and may inadvertently lead to unsafe practices.

As members of the media are critical  to our ability to save babies’ lives, First Candle will soon  launch a Call to Action among print, electronic and broadcast media venues and their advertisers to create, select and use only images that depict babies (who appear to be 18 months of age or younger) in safe sleep positions and safe sleep environments.

For more information, or to help support  this campaign, please call 800.221.7437 or email Laura Reno at laura@firstcandle.org.

• See also: Full Text of Infant Sleep Environments Depicted in Magazines Targeted to Women of Childbearing Age
• See also: First Candle’s Save Sleep Saves Lives Image Guidelines