| First Candle/SIDS Alliance and the National SIDS and Infant Death Program Support Center (NSIDPCS) has launched a national professional education campaign that will target nurses in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and well-baby nurseries at birthing hospitals nationwide. It is the ultimate goal of the campaign, Model Program: The Most Important Modeling Job of your Life, to ensure that every parent leaving a hospital is aware of and prepared to adopt safe sleep messages as recommended by First Candle, the AAP, NICHD and others.
The materials developed for the campaign urge birthing hospitals to incorporate safe sleep policies into their existing protocols for NICU and well-baby nurses. The sample policies were developed by First Candle with input from nursing staff and educators, SIDS researchers, trainers and other healthcare professionals and address the following five key areas: sleep position, bedding/soft materials, crib/bed sharing and breastfeeding, swaddling/bundling and tobacco exposure.
We are pleased to announce that the American Hospital Association provided mailing labels to disseminate campaign materials to all birthing hospitals nationwide. In addition, discussions are underway with a large national hospital chain with over 100 birthing hospitals to adopt the recommendations and distribute brochures to parents.
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