05/07/2025
Be aware
I am heartbroken and furious.
The federal government just cut funding for Safe to Sleep—a program that has saved thousands of babies’ lives. Since 1994, this campaign (formerly Back to Sleep) has helped reduce sleep related deaths in infants by 50%, simply by educating parents and caregivers about safe sleep practices.
Now?
It’s gone.
No warning. No transition plan. Just an abrupt end to a life-saving program.
“They sent an email saying ‘just wanted to let you know that since the office has been terminated, so has Safe to Sleep.’ And that was it,” says Dr. Rachel Moon, a pediatrician who helped lead the campaign.
“For this to be pulled without any notice and, you know, at a time when these deaths are increasing — is devastating, frankly.”
She’s right. Sleep-related infant deaths have increased nearly 12% between 2020 and 2022. And now, without federal guidance, families are being left in the dark—exactly when they need support the most.
This isn’t just a budget cut. It’s a decision that will cost babies their lives.
As a pediatrician, a child safety advocate, a mother, and a human being—I am devastated.
Parents deserve better.
Babies deserve better.
We must speak up. We must demand that Safe to Sleep be reinstated and fully funded. Because no parent should lose a baby to something that could have been prevented—especially not because the government chose to stay silent.
Please share this.
Please reach out to your local representatives.
Please make noise.
Because our silence now will be paid for in tiny lives lost.
Read the full story: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5383871/trump-cuts-safe-sleep-sids-baby
