01/13/2026
is important to help protect your baby while they sleep. Here are 4 things that can prevent accidental suffocation:
1. Always place your baby on their back to sleep - every nap and at bedtime.
- This prevents their airway from becoming blocked, even if they have reflux and spit up. Your baby’s reflexes prevent them from choking, but only when they’re on their back.
2. Don’t bed share - place your baby in a bassinet or crib near your bed for the first 6 months. Your pillows and blankets are hazards for your little one - you can accidentally suffocate your baby if you roll on top of them because you’re tired.
3. Put your baby on a firm, flat sleep surface.
- Babies can easily sink or slump on a soft or inclined surfaces and accidentally suffocate. If your baby falls asleep in a car seat, move them to a crib or bassinet when you get home, or monitor their breathing if they must stay in the car seat.
4. Remove everything from your baby’s crib.
- Soft bedding like pillows and blankets, as well as other items like bumpers or stuffed animals, can block your baby’s face, strangle, or suffocate them.
For more safe sleep tips from the AAP, link in bio.
