South Shore Hospital Earns "Safe Sleep" Award

South Shore Hospital was recently recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as a “Silver Safe Sleep Leader,” for its commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep.

The five-year certification recognizes and commends South Shore Hospital for following safe sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and providing training programs for its healthcare colleagues, patients, families and infant caregivers. A multi-disciplinary team within South Shore Hospital consisting of pediatricians, neonatologists, obstetricians, nurse practitioners, nurses and lactation consultants came together to contribute to this effort.

“Sleep-Related Death (SRD) results in the loss of more than 3,500 infants every year in the U.S.,” said Eyad A. Zahr, MD, a neonatologist at South Shore Hospital. “We know that modeling safe infant sleep in the hospital and providing education to families has a significant effect on decreasing preventable infant mortality. This recognition shows that South Shore Hospital is committed to providing parents and caregivers the tools and knowledge to ensure the practice of safe sleep at all times.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, key guidelines to practice safe infant sleep include:

• Placing infants on their backs for sleep in their own sleep space with no other people.
• Using a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet.
• Keeping loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers, and other soft items out of baby’s sleep space.
• Breastfeeding if possible, and avoiding smoking around baby.

The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created by Cribs for Kids®, the only national infant safe sleep organization. The program was developed in partnership with several leading infant health and safety organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and The National Center for the Review & Prevention of Child Deaths.

According to Judith A. Bannon, Executive Director and Founder for Cribs for Kids®, hundreds of hospitals across the U.S. are now certified as ‘safe sleep infant champions’. “We welcome South Shore Hospital to this expanding group of committed hospitals,” added Bannon. “This will have a profound effect on saving babies’ lives.”

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About South Shore Health

South Shore Health is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, charitable health system that provides acute care, ambulatory care, and home health services to the more than one million residents of Southeastern Massachusetts. It is the parent organization of South Shore Hospital, South Shore Medical Center, South Shore Visiting Nurse Association, Hospice of the South Shore, South Shore NeuroSpine, and other not-for-profit health organizations.