Thank you to Tops Friendly Markets for Supporting Safe Sleep!
Oishei Children’s Hospital (OCH) and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital (MFSH) were proud to hold a pop-up safe sleep community event on February 25. The event was a close collaboration between these two hospitals, the Erie County Department of Health and OCH’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospital partner, Tops Friendly Markets. These organizations in our community all came together in an effort to educate caregivers on best sleep practices for infants.
Oishei Children’s Hospital is a nationally-certified Gold Safe Sleep Hospital, the highest designation offered by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program. As such, we offer many educational programs and modeling for safe sleep to new parents and caregivers. Sharon Barron, RN, BSN, CPN, C-ONQS, manager of the Regional Perinatal Program at OCH, echoes the need for awareness of safe sleep and its connection to reducing Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUIDS), noting, “A large portion of what we review related to unsafe sleep is preventable. These community events allow us to have those real conversations and answer questions.” She continues, “All of us are working diligently to reduce SUIDS instances; we need to be proactive in ensuring the safety of our community’s greatest treasures.”
“Newborn babies can sleep 16 hours or more each day, and parents and caregivers have a responsibility to keep that sleep environment safe and free of hazards,” said Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “Parents and caregivers can create the safest possible space for infants to sleep by making sure an infant sleeps alone, on their back and in a safe crib, bassinet or play yard that meets safety standards. As your baby develops, pediatricians are ready for any questions about how to improve the health and safety of a home and other places where a child spends time.”
During the event, we were able to provide information and answer questions from a wide variety of customers and caregivers in our community.
Thank you to these healthcare sites, the Erie County Department of Health and Tops Friendly Markets Store #232 for facilitating this important pop-up!