Oct. 18, 2018
HARRISBURG – The House unanimously passed a resolution authored by Rep. Garth Everett (R-Lycoming/Union), that designates the month of November 2018 as “Infant Safe Sleep Month” in Pennsylvania.
“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has said that there are about 3,500 sleep-related deaths among American babies each year,” said Everett. “We must do everything in our power to increase education for parents on how to best care for their babies.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force report recommends infants be placed on their backs for sleep, and that the safest environment for sleep consists of babies sleeping alone in an empty crib with a tightly fitted sheet and sufficient sleepwear.
“As parents, their No. 1 priority is keeping their babies safe.
House Resolution 1156 ensures the Commonwealth is providing families and day-care providers with the greatest amount of information to help prevent unnecessary infant deaths.”
Everett worked with Lycoming County Coroner Chuck Kiessling for several years on raising awareness about safe sleep practices for infants.
“Garth and I have been working on this issue for at least eight years now, so it’s wonderful to see this resolution pass,” said Kiessling. “We have been spreading the word about the Cribs for Kids program, and because of this public awareness, we have seen a drop in the number of infant deaths from unsafe sleep environments in Lycoming County. This resolution will help us save more lives.”
You can find The Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for
Safe Sleep for Babies here.
Representative Garth D. Everett
84th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Alison Basley
717.772.9843
abasley@pahousegop.com
RepEverett.com /
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